A Season of Star Vs
by Kieran Wespell
Summary: Think of this entire fic as a full season of SvTFOE, and each 2 or 3 chapters is an episode of the show. It can be about anything; from Marco buying a new phone for Star to preventing a Mewni revolution. Anything is possible. Consider this a divergence from the canon.
1. Marco's Blue Belt Test Part 1

**A/N: Hi everyone, my name is Kieran Wespell**

 **This is the first fanfic I have ever written before and I really want to make a good first impression. So I made sure I put a lot of effort in this first chapter (or episode as I like to call them).**

 **So yeah, the premise of this fic is that it's a season of Star vs The Forces of Evil, and every chapter is an episode. Each chapter will have it's own premise and it's own conclusion. Of course, I'll make sure to develop the characters with each chapters, and I'll even have a major story arc that ties this entire story together.**

 **I'll always start these chapters with a premise as such:**

 **Episode 1: Marco's Blue Belt Test Part 1**

 **Description: When an accident occurs during Marco's all-important Blue Belt Test, it's up to Star to race against the clock to help her friend get his Blue belt.**

 **Just like that.**

 **If you want you can leave a review at the end, as those will be extremely helpful. Anyways, enjoy!**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs the Forces of Evil, that belongs to it's creator, Daron Nefcy. Although if I did own it, I would add some more background music, it can get really quiet at times.**

 **(Edit 8/6/2015: Split Episodes in 2 parts for less reading load for one chapter. I know this will screw up the current reviews for each episode, but I feel like this is necessary. To any followers, I'm sorry for the spam of story updates this splitting will cause.)**

* * *

As they were walking down the sidewalk together, Janna could sense something bothering her best friend Jackie. Perhaps it was the fact that Jackie had barely made a dent on her cup of frozen yogurt. Or perhaps it was the way she limped on her skateboard with a seemingly lifeless stride as opposed to her usual confident vigor. Or maybe it was the blank expression on her face she wore as they cruised the sidewalk.

"You alright Jackie?" Janna asked. "You haven't been saying much since I came to pick you up."

"What?" Jackie replied innocuously. "I'm fine Janna, just kinda tired if anything." Jackie attempted to put on a bleak smile for reassurance. Janna wasn't buying it.

"Come on Jackie, you know this is so not like you at all. I got some time left to kill, so how about we go to the half-pipe and find some other skater bros there."

Jackie gave a long, drawn-out expression of doubt, as if she were mulling over the idea.

"Rather not," Jackie replied. "I just got out of a relationship, remember? Not really in the mood to hunker down with another guy at the moment."

Janna's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, this is about Justin isn't it? No wonder you've been so mopey all day."

"What, no, Janna this isn't about him. And besides it was an amicable split, no hard feelings whatsoever. Or at least, I don't have any."

"Eh, whatever."

They passed by the windowsill of the local strip mall dojo, when they heard the yelps of a familiar boy from the inside the building. The girls looked through the window to find a Latino boy in his karate uniform bowing down to another man, who could be assumed to be his superior judging by the man's muscular build and black belt. The man was holding a thick stack of wooden board halves in each hand. The crowd in the bleachers gave a round of applause for the boy.

"Yeah, you go Marco!" Jackie said, as Janna cheered him on, assuming he'd done something impressive.

The girls saw a blonde girl in a sleeveless, turquoise dress with rainbow stripes on the chest, jumped up from her seat and wailed in excitement and cheer. She held onto a purple wand on her right hand. In the midst of her excitement, a blast of purple light shot off from the wand, shattering part of the roof on top of her. Some of the crowd turned their heads towards her. The girl sat back down meekly.

Jackie watched Marco ready himself, as the instructor called down another pupil from the row of other students in the front. The instructor picked up a several wooden boards from a mountainous stack off to the side. The instructor held onto one side with both hands, while the volunteer held on to the other.

Marco shifted to the side ready to strike. In an instant, he jumped high in the air and kicked the boards by the side of his foot, shattering the stack of wood. Another round of applause for Marco, with Jackie and Jenna joining in from the outside.

"Impressive," Jackie said.

"You said it," Janna replied.

This time, the instructor brought out a concrete board instead of a wooden one. Marco's eyes flared in excitement as he began to get acquainted with the board. He motioned his legs in a roundhouse kick onto the concrete.

Marco prepared for his kick by readying his stance once more. His body swiveled to the side, as he forced his legs up. For a split-second Jackie's eyes caught onto Marco's. The wrong part of Marco's foot made impact with the solid concrete.

Even through the glass, Marco's muffled screams of agony could be heard outside. Jackie watched as he limped on his back, cradling his battered foot closer to his body. Janna reeled back in horror. The blonde girl from the bleachers jumped down to her friend in an instant. She looked at his foot and had to hold her mouth in from vomiting.

Jackie and Jenna drifted by, in a sort of shell-shocked manner. Jackie was the first to break the sudden silence.

"He's not gonna be okay," she said. "Maybe we should go back in and help."

"Nah, it'll be fine," Janna replied. "Star is with him, and I bet she can whip something up to fix his foot. Let's not interfere."

Jackie nodded. A faint growl trembled underneath her stomach, taking an arm to clench on top of it. Janna picked up on it with her dolphin-like hearing.

"Jackie, finish up your yogurt. I'm taking you to that Thai place you like. No buts, missy."

Janna knew Jackie wasn't going to argue over free food.

* * *

Marco straddled his broken foot next to his body. From the corner of his eye, he could see the horrific condition his foot was in. When he lifted his leg up, the foot dangled in front of him. The redness and swollenness of the foot contrasted with the rest of the body. Marco whimpered in pain underneath his breath.

"Marco!" Star said, as she jumped down off the bleachers, shoving away a few spectators on the way down. She rushed to Marco's side, and she crouched down next to Marco, putting a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. Marco stared onto Star's watering, concerned eyes.

"It's not so bad, Star? Right?"

Star glimpsed at Marco's foot. She can see partial bone fragments trying to poke out of his foot. His toes bent in awkward, unnatural positions, one in particular crookedly bent back all the way to the top of his foot. Marco could see Star place her hands on her mouth, holding back the urge to vomit. This made Marco shirk back in shame.

"Relax, Marco, it's not as bad as it looks, I swear." Star tried to reassure Marco, but even he could see the obvious horrific appearance of his foot.

Jeremy, a boy no older than seven or eight in a black belt, walked up to Marco with the biggest, patronizing grin on his face.

"She's right, it only a scratch Marco." Marco stared at the little boy with contempt. Jeremy's condescending comments were the last thing he needed in this situation. "So, come on Marco, if it's not that bad, just get up and break the board already. Master Keith doesn't have all day."

A man with a bulky, muscular build in a black uniform with the arms sleeves torn took a knee next to Marco. Marco, tried to turn the other way in embarrassment, not wanting to look at his master in the eye.

"I can get someone to take you to the hospital, and we can reschedule this test for another day, maybe as soon as your leg heals," Master Keith said. "No extra charge this time."

"That's a shame, Marco," Jeremy said in a presumptuous manner. "I guess you aren't getting a blue belt today. It's too bad, I was really rooting for you to get it today. At this rate, with your luck, you might just be stuck a green belt by the time I get a 2nd degree black belt."

Marco felt a nerve struck, and he could only grimace at the doting, arrogant child. He pulled Star in desperation, holding back the tears forming underneath his eyelids. "Star, please, I know you know a spell to fix this. Please Star, I need to get this blue belt." Marco choked in his sobs.

"Okay, okay Marco. It's going to be alright." Star tried to reassure her best friend. Marco watched as she bit on her wand, eyes of to the side, hoping she was rifling through her mind for some easy fix for his leg. "I got it Marco." She lifted her wand on top of his battered leg, the top glowing in a bright, luminous light.

"Legolas Defixio!"

A shroud of purple light emitted itself from the wand, concealing the bruised and horrifically battered foot. The pain from the foot began dissipating underneath the purple glow. A feeling of euphoria and pleasured travelled from Marco's battered right leg throughout his entire body. Marco closed his eyes and blushed from the exhilarating bliss.

When he opened his eyes again, Marco could only find a rounded stump where his foot used to be.

Both Star and Marco shrieked in horror. Star began hyperventilating before raising her wand once more.

"Animus de Cyclo!"

A beam of light was directed onto Marco's leg, transforming it into an oversized chicken leg. Marco's eyes could only open wide in terror.

"—de Cyclo!" Star said, trying again

Marco's leg was replaced with a gazelle's leg.

"—de Cyclo!" Star said in desperation.

A frog leg replaced the gazelle leg. Marco watched as Star slammed her head in frustration.

Star growled in her grievance, "Returnius Arma Normalius," before a beam of light was fired directly onto Marco's leg one more time. Marco pondered where he had heard that spell in the past. He looked down on the ground, noticing a full length arm, similar in size to his other leg, instead of anything else.

"Star, why did you just use the arm spell on me?" Marco asked, horrified.

"I don't know, Marco, I don't remember the names of spells off the top of my head," Star said. "Azarath Metrio—"

"Star, stop!" Marco interjected. "Casting random spells isn't gonna help anybody at this point."

Star muttered under her breath, "Where is the spell book when things like this?" Star eyes twinkled in realization. "Marco, where is the spell book? I remember asking you to bring it back."

"Yeah, I picked it up from Janna's place a couple days ago," Marco recalled, specifically because of a particularly awkward conversation with Jackie on the way there. "I think I dropped it off at your room."

"Well, stay here Marco, you are passing your test and getting a Blue belt today." Star ran out the door, leaving Marco essentially crippled on one of the most important days of his life.

* * *

Star startled Mrs. Diaz when she pounced through the door in her rush. She still hadn't notice Mrs. Diaz as she muttered to herself that she needed to remember that teleportation spell. Mrs. Diaz cleared her throat loudly to capture Star's attention.

"Oh sorry, Mrs. Diaz," Star said as she just noticed Marco's mom next to her, as well as the broken door frame.

"Oh no need to apologize," Mrs. Diaz replied. "You seem to be in a rush."

"Yeah you can say that."

"How did Marco's karate test go?" Mrs. Diaz asked. "I wish my husband and I were there, but apparently we would embarrass him on his big day. Well, I guess it's understandable. I used to think the same way about my parents."

"Marcos still doing it, he just asked me to pick up something from the house." Star ran up the stairs, passed Mrs. Diaz. "It's an emergency."

Mrs. Diaz just shrugged as the princess ran past her.

Inside her room, Star dashed through every nook and cranny in her room, hoping to find the book there. She shoved away everything in sight; every cabinet, every shelf, and even her Mirror phone, yet there was nothing. Star fell onto both knees, clasped her face with her hands and screamed in frustration. Her bangs fell over head, as tears formed in her eyelids. In the corner of her eye, she saw her bed. Hopeful, she slid underneath, to find a piece of paper instead of her precious spell book.

"I O U – Ferguson," it said. Star scowled in pure frustration.

Star ran out the house, note in one hand, and the wand in the other fixing her bangs. Mrs. Diaz threw a bottle of an exotic-looking, rainbow coloured drink. Star clasped it with both hands.

"Give it to Marco when you see him, it always cheers him up."

When Mrs. Diaz wasn't looking, Star sneaked a sip before placing it in her backpack. It tasted like every piece of candy, yet light to the touch.

* * *

Master Keith held out the concrete board for Marco once more. Marco positioned himself for a roundhouse kick, standing on his mutated hand foot, ignoring the awkward feeling of the mutated leg. Marco rotated his normal leg around for the kick. He slipped on his arm foot and fell on his back. Marco sighed.

Jeremy was on his back, laughing at Marco's pain and misery. The rest of the students just looked on in pity.

"Poor guy," one of the male students said.

"You can't fault the man's determination." Everyone else agreed with that sentiment.

Marco pushed himself back up, and positioned his body for another roundhouse kick.

"You know, we can still reschedule for as early as tomorrow even, if your friend can fix your foot soon." Master Keith held out the board for Marco, as Marco attempted another kick.

"I don't need to," Marco replied, slipping on his hand foot for the umpteenth time.

* * *

Star found Ferguson exiting the convenience store with a decently large blue slushy on his right hand, while his pants pockets filled to the brim with an assortment of chocolate bars. He was sipping on his slushy, when Star pounced on top from out of nowhere, dropping his slushy as well as all the chocolate in his pockets. Fergusson managed a tiny yelp before Star began throttling him.

"Where is it?" Star asked anxiously.

"I don't know what you are the talking about," Ferguson could muster between shakes.

"The book, where is it?"

"You mean that gigantic book of mumbo jumbo? I thought Marco had it."

Star armed her wand, shoving it extremely close to Ferguson's abdomen. The star insignia glowed dimly.

"Have you ever wondered what it's like to be Narwhal, Ferguson?" He whimpered and shook his head. "Now I've seen your IOU note underneath my bed Fergusson, I know you have it somewhere. Tell me where it is, or the only thing you'll be eating for the next few days is fish and whatever else Narwhals eat."

"Okay, I gave it Janna," he whimpered. Relief washed over him as the wand stopped glowing.

"Janna?"

"Yeah, she said she'd make out with me if I gave it to her," Ferguson said. Star mouth instinctively opened wide in shock. "I don't know what she wanted with it, but I wasn't going to miss out my only chance at kissing a girl."

Just as Star was about to run off to find Janna, she glanced at the sorry sight that was Ferguson. His entire body was covered in slushy, as well as half-melted chocolate. He was choking on his sobs and he laid there in fear. Star knew she couldn't leave him like this.

"Thanks, Star," Ferguson said, before taking a sip of a brand new blue slushy.

Star ran off without saying goodbye. Her feet grew sore with every step.

 _Don't worry Marco, I'll get you that Blue belt one way or another_ , she muttered underneath her breath.

* * *

Star considered herself to be a relatively heavy sleeper. From earthquakes to her overbearing mother shouting over her ear, nothing could seemingly wake up the princess. She has once even boasted about being able to sleep through anything to her friend Pony Head, as if it was an achievement to be proud of. So it was truly impressive when the sound of wood breaking and yelps had roused the slumbering princess from her bed. At nearly 5:30 in the morning.

Growing impatient and unable to fall asleep, Star rose from her bed grumpily, setting her sleep mask off to the side on her bed stand. Star marched towards the source of all the noise early in the morning, Marco's room. She opened the door, finding Marco shattering a stack of wooden boards laying on top of a cinder block with a well-placed Karate chop. Marco turned around to see as Star stood there with bloodshot eyes and bags under her eyes.

"Marco Diaz, it's five o'clock, it's way too early to be doing Karate or whatever…" Star closed the door behind her and slumped on her back. "Besides, what are you do – doing practicing—"Those were the only words she could have mustered in her confused, drowsy state before droning out, mouth wide open.

"Hang on, Star," Marco said. "I got just the thing to perk you up in the morning."

Marco pulled her to the side to get out through the door. When he came back, he had a glass of multi-coloured liquid on hand. Star identified the relatively pungent smell of fruit punch with a hint of coffee grinds.

"Open wide, Star." Star didn't resist as Marco poured the drink into Star's mouth. The instant burst of candy-flavoured sweetness made Star's eyes open wide in excitement. Star can feel the bags under eyes recede as her mind grew more alert and aware. Even the bloodshot eyes were fading away. Star swiped the glass from Marco's hand. She downed the rest of the contents into her body, the drowsiness disappearing after every gulp. "Better?" Marco asked.

"Whoa, that was really good." Star handed the glass back to Marco. "What's in that stuff?"

"I'll be honest, I have no clue," Marco replied. "I've seen my mom pour crushed coffee beans in, but I have no idea how she makes the rainbow colours. Apparently, it's a 'Diaz family secret' that I would only be allowed to know when I'm eighteen."

Star moaned in delight, sticking her rainbow coloured tongue out like a dog.

"Anyways, you were saying," Marco said.

"Oh yeah, right. What are you doing at five in the morning practicing karate? It's way too early to do anything except sleep."

"Today is the day of my blue belt test." Star stared at Marco, puzzled. "You know, the belt test. Every martial art has a belt test, where they test you on everything you've learnt. If you pass, you get a new, better belt colour. If you don't, well, you're stuck on the belt you are at, 'til the next opportunity for a test comes up."

Star nodded in understanding.

"You know how long I've been waiting for this, Star?" Star shook her head. "Six months Star. I was supposed to get my blue belt six months ago."

Star leaned in and payed close attention to Marco.

"For the last six months, every time test day came, something always comes up and I have to keep pushing back that day," he said. "It's always a family emergency, or something got broken, and even Ludo has been interfering at the worst possible times"

Star put a hand on Marco's shoulder in sympathy.

"I'm making sure I get my blue belt today, no matter what it takes."

"Anything you need me to do, Marco?"

"Yeah, actually," Marco said, as he walked across the room to pick up a pile of wooden boards. "I need to practice my roundhouse, and practicing kicks is easier when another person holds the board."

Star smiled and complied; she grabbed a board and positioned herself for Marco.

Roundhouse kicks weren't the only thing they practiced. Marco and Star procedurally went through every kind of kick that Marco could find off the top of his head. Flying side-kicks, butterfly kicks and even a 540 spinning hook kick were done as properly and efficiently as possible. Marco refused a foot message, even when his legs were getting tired.

Next, Marco performed a variety of Karate patterns, in-sync with Star counting out loud. This exercise confused the Mewnian Princess.

Star observed Marco sparring with a hanging punching bag. She was enamored by the lightning-fast kicks and punches Marco doled out onto the bag. It crumbled under the pressure of a powerful roundhouse kick, sending it slumped to the ground. Star, impressed, gave a round of applause for Marco.

With a flick of her wand, Star levitated several wooden boards around Marco. In a seemingly abrupt blink of an eye, Marco smashed the boards with ease. He wiped the sweat underneath his brow before going on.

Finally, Marco had to get his dad to help him with the next exercise. Mr. Diaz brought up a concrete block with him. Star even knocked on it, concerned Marco wouldn't be able to break something so solid. Star and Mr. Diaz positioned themselves properly, both holding a different side of the board. Marco prepared himself in the proper stance for the kick. Marco rotated his body, jumped while facing the side and in explosive fashion, kicked the concrete straight at the center, shattering it in half. Star looked at the half broken piece of concrete in shock, as Mr. Diaz congratulated his son with a pat on the back.

Marco passed out on the bed in exhaustion. Star takes a seat next to him. She puts the concrete off to the side.

"Marco, I knew you did Karate, but I never knew you were this good." Star took another glance at the shattered concrete, as well as the slumped over punching bag.

"Meh, it all comes from a lot of practice and frustration," Marco said. "Mostly frustration."

"If it were up to me, I would give you a blue belt on the spot."

"Yeah, but too bad the world doesn't work like that," Marco replied. Marco yawned and stretched his arms out before placing them behind his head.

"Seems like you're really tired, I'll get out of your hair and let you take a nap." Star got up and walked towards the door.

"Nah, Star, stay. I could use a little company, if you don't mind." Star shifted Marco off to the side a bit, lying herself next to Marco. For a moment, both just stared up the ceiling, seemingly content to just lie there in silence. "Star, there's one thing I wanna ask.

"Has there ever been a time in your life where you were just so close to something, but life, fate, destiny or whatever, just takes it away from you like a cruel bait-and-switch joke?"

Star pondered on the question momentarily. She replied, "I lived as a princess of a huge kingdom. Anytime I wanted something, I just asked and then my parents or one of the servants would go out and get it. So, I guess not."

"Well, I guess you're lucky," Marco said. "Sometimes, I think the only reason I exist is to be a punchline to some higher power's joke."

"Come on Marco. Don't be ridiculous, you're a great guy, you don't need a blue belt to tell you that."

"It's not about the blue belt, Star," he replied. "It feels like everything good gets pulled away the moment I try to pounce for it."

Star realized he was referring to Jackie Lynn Thomas choosing Justin, the football star over him. She remembered all the complex, convoluted schemes they set up together to win Jackie's heart that day, only to be utterly ignored for some blonde-haired jock.

"That's why I want this blue belt. This is the one thing right now, I know, I won't let out of my grasp. I don't care if I lose a limb or two or it, I'll keep working for this blue belt." Marco stood up from the bed and walked out the door. "I'm going to take a shower. Once I get out, prep the boards again, I want to perfect the roundhouse kick before we get to the dojo."

Star watched the Karate boy walk out the room. Even if she hadn't been through what he has, she could empathize with him, understanding the pain and suffering Marco had been going through.

So when Star rushed to find Janna in Echo Creek, she remembered that conversation in the morning. She remembered the first day she'd arrived at Earth, where Marco was compassionate enough to let her stay at his house, despite the fact she ruined his room with a black hole.

She remembered why she had to keep running, no matter how sore her legs were.


	2. Marco's Blue Belt Test Part 2

**Episode 1: Marco's Blue Belt Test Part 2**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs the Forces of Evil, that belongs to it's creator, Daron Nefcy. Although if I did own it, I would add some more background music, it can get really quiet at times.**

 **(Edit 8/6/2015: Split Episodes in 2 parts for less reading load for one chapter. I know this will screw up the current reviews for each episode, but I feel like this is necessary. To any followers, I'm sorry for the spam of story updates this splitting will cause.)**

* * *

Jackie's favourite restaurant was located in between a nondescript dry cleaner and a shady loan office in a relatively dilapidated section of Echo Creek, in comparison to the rest of the city. It was a cheap Thai place called Onahana; Janna took her here when she first moved to Echo Creek. Despite its dingy appearance on the outside, the inside is relatively clean and tidy, with the smell of Thai cooking permeating around the building.

This was Jackie's happy place. If she was ever feeling down, or if anything bad ever came up, she would just walk in and then just order as much as she wanted. Today, Jackie wasn't particularly hungry, but she wasn't going to complain about free food.

"Anything you want in particular?" Janna asked.

"Surprise me." Jackie took a seat at a table near the counter, while Janna went up to place an order. Jackie fidgeted with her shell necklace, going over the ridges with her fingers. She gave a deep sigh, with no one near to hear her in the vicinity.

"It'll be about ten minutes before we get our order." Janna placed down a couple bowls of fragrant smelling soup on the table before pulling her chair up. "In the meantime, the chef has given us some complimentary shrimp soup. You haven't eaten all day, so dig in."

Jackie lifted her spoon and stirred the contents of the bowl disdainfully. She slumped her head on the table, only being supported by her other hand. She scooped up a pitiful amount of broth with the spoon, and shoved it into her mouth.

"Jackie, you know I'm your best friend and I want the best for you."

Jackie nodded.

"And there is nothing I want more than for you to be happy"

Jackie nodded again.

"So tell me, what's the matter, Jackie?" Janna asked.

Jackie let out a massive sigh before she said, "Okay, first things first, this isn't entirely about Justin, okay."

"Yeah I get it, so then what is this all about?"

"Well, my stepdad is taking me on another weekend hunting trip in about two weeks. And my mom is making me go, because apparently I have to make the effort of bonding with my 'new dad'."

"Don't you do this every year?" Janna scooped up a particularly hearty portion of soup with shrimp covered in lemongrass and broth, ingesting it before going on. "What's so different about this year?"

"For the past few weeks, he's been getting progressively more and more…" Jackie carefully thought over the word he was about to use. "… annoying, I guess. He's been constantly asking questions like 'How's your day Jackie', 'Is there anything bothering you at school', 'Can you call me dad just this once, Jackie', etcetera."

Janna just sat there, sipping on her soup as she watched her friend rave on.

"And it's not like I hate him or anything." Jackie took a spoonful of soup before going on. "He's trying his best, I get that. But it feels like he tries too hard. Soon enough, it turns into this weird cycle of self-loathing and hatred; because when I don't hang with him, my stepdad gets mopey, which makes my mom sort of sad, and then she just takes it out on me, and it keeps going in that circle."

"That totes suck," Janna said. "So you got out today, because you wanted to get out of the house so you didn't have to hear your mom spaz out on you."

"You're always the perceptive one, Janna," Jackie replied. "Also, things got a lot more awkward around the house ever since I broke up with broke up with Justin."

Janna lifted the bowl right up to her mouth. She slurped the remaining contents of the bowl, leaving an empty bowl with nothing except lemongrass clippings and shrimp tails. She placed the bowl down before she said, "Oh yeah, your ex and stepdad are like super tight right."

"Practically treats him like his son, yeah. Now he's blaming himself for the break-up, and my mom is giving me a hard time over stressing him out. She acts as if she understands me or something. And now I'm in a bad mood because everyone else is."

"Family problems suck," Janna said. "If ya want, you can crash at my place for the night to get away from them for a while."

"Its fine," Jackie replied, filling her spoon with broth. "Honestly, I just want to clear my head from all this daddy stuff. Maybe something interesting will pop up right now, and just come in right through that door."

The restaurant entrance opened, rustling the chimes placed next to the door. A sweaty, exhausted Star trudged inside, bending over and panting heavily to catch a breath. Jackie turned around to see the Mewnian princess drained, face forming a light blue hue. She smiled and motioned Star to their table. Star took heavy, lumbering steps before arriving at the table, pulling up a seat next to Jackie. Star passed out on the table. Janna poked and prodded Star's sweaty, matted head.

"What brings you he—"Star interrupted to catch her breath before letting Janna finish. "What brings you here, Star?"

"Janna, I've been trying to find you," Star said between breaths. "Where did you leave the book?"

Janna looked at Star puzzled.

Star recalled the day's events to the other girls; from Marco's broken foot, to the arm transformation, hunting down the book of spells to finally arriving at this restaurant after asking everyone in the city for her. Jackie watched Star blabber on about Marco's condition. She took notice in the slight redness in Star's eyes. Suddenly, someone from the counter was calling outwards in what sounded like a broken combination of Thai and English.

"Hold on, hold on." Janna stood up from her seat, grabbing several dollar bills from her wallet. "Do you want anything?"

Star shook her head, then Janna placed a couple of the bills back into her wallet. She walked up to the counter leaving Jackie with the wearied Star. Jackie offered a glass of water by pushing it next to Star. Star refused, grabbing a rainbow coloured liquid from a bottle in her bag, taking a long, drawn out sip.

"Better," Star said. Jackie noticed the exhaustion lifted off Star's face. She started eying on the still filled bowl of soup near Jackie. Jackie noticed and smiled. She shifted the bowl of Shrimp soup to Star, lighting the princess's face with a smile. Jackie hadn't even turned her head fully towards the counter, before she noticed the bowl filled with soup suddenly empty, and Star wiping her face with a napkin.

"Oh, Sorry Jackie, I didn't ask if you were still gonna eat it," Star said with a meek expression.

"It's cool, Star." Jackie gave her a wry smile. Janna came back with a bag filled to the brim with food on her wrist.

"Okay, I left the book at my room. If we hurry, Star, you can change his leg back to normal by tonight."

Jackie and Star rushed out the door. Janna snuck a forkful of pad Thai before Jackie called her out.

* * *

Despite the setback of having an arm instead of a left foot, the procedure for the roundhouse kick was relatively the same for Marco. Kicking foot on the back, hands up, ready to turn. Keith held the concrete board out for Marco. Marco lifted his leg up for the kick, but the pressure on his hand-foot lost his balance. He fell over, landing on his back.

"Still hilarious," Jeremy said as he nearly choked at his own laughter. Marco groaned, and pushed himself back up.

* * *

"Here ya go, Star," Janna said as she hauled out the oversized book to the driveway. Star was trying to stand up properly on Jackie's skateboard, Jackie herself holding onto Star to keep the novice skater balanced. Jackie let go, sending the princess rolling down the incline of the driveway. Halfway through, the skateboard slipped underneath her foot, stumbling Star on the driveway while the skateboard rolled down all the way to the end of the drive way.

"Wow," Star said in astonishment. "I have a new respect for the people that are actually good at this skateboarding thing."

"It's a craft that needs time to be perfected," Jackie replied as she twirled the board while she picked it up.

"So…" Star mulled over. "How am I gonna get thi—"

Star's ears perked on the rustling of leaves. Two monstrous creatures popped out from the vegetation and pounced on the Jackie and Janna. Both squirmed against the monsters; one of them a bear-unicorn hybrid holding Jackie hostage and the other a red, twin-headed obese creature keeping the other girl company.

A giant lobster belly flopped directly on top of Star. Star rolled to the side and the air in his lungs let out as he landed on his stomach. The concrete shattered on impact.

"Princess Butterfly," a shrill voice cried out ominously. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here."

"Ludo," Star called out as a diminutive bird creature appeared in front of her. "How long have you guys been here just for an ambush."

"Actually princess, we have only arrived here only moments ago." A large frog creature walked up to the driveway with a decorative pair of scissors on hand along with a band of other monstrous entities. "It is a surprise to see you here."

Star looked at everyone with a mouth agape in confusion. Ludo growled and slammed his hand on his forehead.

"This is the last time I trust any of you dolts with the dimensional scissors. As a matter of fact, give it –"Ludo grabbed the scissors from Buff Frog's hand. "And because of your incompetence, we missed out on the Millennial Villain's Buffet of honour."

"Ludo, Master, please forgive me and have mercy upon me."

"Don't fret Buff Frog, I have another hunger you can help me satiate." Ludo slowly tore a hole in reality with the scissors. "How about a trade Star? Your earth companions in exchange for the wand. If you don't decide soon, my henchman will ensure these girls get a tour of Mewni all the way through. Tic Toc, Butterfly."

She raised her wand and the star insignia glowed.

"Butterfly Blitzkrieg!"

A stream of pink butterflies burst out the wand. They rushed towards Ludo's hand holding the scissors, knocking them off. The butterflies scattered across the driveway and swarmed everyone in the vicinity.

Amidst the distraction and chaos, Jackie bit her captor near the jugular. Bearicorn yelped and released the girl from his grasp, tending to the bite mark instead. Janna smashed her feet on the red creature's kneecaps, releasing the girl from its grasp as the two heads screamed in unison.

Both girls ran off to the garage.

"Janna, where do you keep the B.B."

"I'll show you," Janna replied.

"She's alone! Get the Wand!" Ludo commanded.

A trio of henchmen dashed towards Star, arms out. Star prepped her wand, the star symbol glowing.

"Mystic Candy Mirage!"

The Wand materialized a purple miasma of smoke that covered the entire driveway. Star held her breath and ran into the haze of smoke. The minions followed suit. When the cloud subsided, Star was running out the other side, nipping at the dissipated air.

"Tastes like cotton candy," she said with a smile.

The minions weren't as lucky; they choked on the purple haze, all of them hands on their throat, suffocating from the sweetness. One of them passed out, mouth agape, the purple haze seeped out of all its orifices.

Star dropped kicked the giant giraffe and it crumbled to the ground. Buff Frog charged towards Star, arms out for the attack. She aimed her wand directly at the rushing mass.

"Disco Dancing Marionette!"

The frog was hit with a beam of orange light. His body made bizarre movements, his arms and legs rattling with every forced action. His feet followed a certain, inaudible song, with his hands following suit. Ludo stared at him confused.

"Buff Frog, stop that, what are you doing?"

"Ludo, Master, I am sorry, but the funk is too strong," the frog replied. Ludo sighed in derision.

Star snickered at the dancing frog. A bearded, antlered minion grabbed Star from behind and lifted her up into the air. A giant chicken creature scrambled to Star's position.

Star struggled against the creature's massive arms. She tried to push herself off to no-avail. She heard a loud, sickening thud as the bearded creature released the girl. Star looked behind to see Janna swing a massive pipe onto the creature's kneecaps. A bone-crunching squelch was audible, as the creature tumbled down to the ground in pain.

The big chicken attempted to continue charging towards Star. The sound of a metallic crack whipped through the air as a fiery barrage of pellets flew towards its direction. The impact forced the chicken flying back. It rolled on the ground before it stopped on top its stomach, clutching the spray wounds.

"Nice shot, Jackie." Janna said.

"Thanks, I have been getting better past few months," Jackie replied, cocking the shotgun back.

"Is the chicken dead?" Star asked.

"What, no, it's just b.b. pellets, not real bullets. He should be okay."

Star nodded in relief. She watched the chicken clutch the spray wounds in searing pain.

"Okay girls, cover your eyes, 'cuz things are about to get really trippy." The girls complied and shielded their eyes with their arms. Star rose from the ground as elegantly as she can, twirling about and armed her wand.

"Rainbow Pulse of Destruction!"

Everyone besides the girls looked up at the rising Star and noticed a slight twinkle on her Wand. Followed by a bright, blinding pulse of rainbow light that exploded into a multitude of colours. The light scattered across the battlefield, like a sonic boom. What was followed by that was the cacophony of wailing anguish and misery.

"Everything is every colour," one of Ludo's minions said.

"Master Ludo, I think I have discovered a new colour."

Ludo lifted his skull helmet covering his eyes, and scowled at the obvious disaster.

"This is the last time I ever try to fight without a plan," he muttered. He tore a portal open, leading back to his kingdom. "Walk of shame, people. You know the drill."

Every minion trudged towards the portal, wounded and hurt. Most were still disoriented from the blast of light, wandering in various directions. Bearicorn whimpered at the noticeable bite mark near his neck, brushing it slightly, but still reeling from the pain. The Giant giraffe dragged the bullet-ridden chicken and another minion through the portal. Deerbeard crawled to the portal, dragging his useless legs along. Buff Frog was still dancing his way to the portal, his face grimaced in pain.

"Somebody kill me, please. I can't take the funk anymore."

"Oh don't worry Buff Frog," replied Ludo. "There is a cure for your affliction, but it might be considered worse than death."

Ludo closed the portal behind him. The girls uncovered their eyes, viewing the relatively tame destruction around them. Aside from a few shattered windows and pink dust settling on top of the driveway, the damage was rather minimal.

"Everything seems to be in one piece," Star said.

"I'm seeing double everything," Janna said, squinting her eyes.

"Oh don't worry about that, the double vision will pass," Star replied. "I think…"

Star walked up to the gigantic book, picking it up by both hands.

"How am I supposed to get this oversiz –"

Star was interrupted by a puff of blue smoke that billowed from the book. When it dissipated, a diminutive blue creature was sitting cross-legged looking at Star.

"Hello, Princess Butterfly," it greeted.

"Glossaryk!" Star cried out. "I forgot this book came with you."

"But I have never forgotten about my favourite Mewnian princess," he replied. "Did you say the size of this book is an inconvenience?"

With a snap of his fingers, the book shrunk in size to something that was carry-able, more compact.

"You are the best," Star complimented. "Now, how am I gonna going to get to the dojo in time."

Jackie's skateboard rolled next to Star's foot, bumping into it slightly. Star looked down on the board and back to Jackie.

"Give it back to me when you're done with it. And make sure Marco's feet aren't anywhere near it."

* * *

 _One more time,_ Marco thought to himself to pump himself up. The board was still being held by the instructor, bellowing out a deep yawn. Even Jeremy began to grow drowsy.

With his normal foot as the back foot, Marco lifted it up for the kick. His hand-foot maintained the balance as he rotated his entire body in a blink of an eye. The correct part of his foot made impact with the concrete, smashing the concrete block into pieces.

Marco jumped up and roared with glee, the instructor looking at him impressed. Jeremy rose up startled by the shattering concrete. He was surprised by Marco's feat.

"I didn't think you had it in ya kid, "Keith said. "The only testing component left is Sparring. But since everyone else has left –"

Keith pointed at the barren bleachers, with the only other person in the dojo being Jeremy.

"—the only opponent left for you is Jeremy."

Jeremy jumped down from the bleachers, grabbing his sparring gear placed off to the side and putting them on.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you have a hand for a foot," he said sneeringly.

"Wouldn't want it any other way, Jeremy." Marco was sliding in an extra glove on his hand-foot. It clenched on the material as Marco attached it. Marco stared at his opponent resolute, ready to fight to the death.

"Marco, Marco, I got the spell!" Marco noticed Star crashing through the entrance, skateboard and book on one hand and glowing wand on the other.

"Legolas Returnia Normalia!"

A burst of light struck Marco on his afflicted foot. A puff of smoke emerged from the afflicted area, revealing an unbroken, unbent foot ready for action. Marco beamed in ecstatic glee.

"Thank you, Star," Marco said. He replaced the glove with a shin guard. "Alright, now we have a fair fight."

"Alright, since everyone wants to go home as soon as possible, anything goes for this fight. First to three points wins. Aaaaaand go."

"I'm a black belt, I can take down any green be—"Jeremy was interrupted from his tangent with a flying side-kick that pierced Jeremy's abdomen. Jeremy sputtered out as he landed on his back. Marco settled gracefully on the ground with both feet ready for the counterattack

"Point Diaz," called out the instructor.

Jeremy forced himself up, guarding himself with his arms. Marco charged up to the boy with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts as Jeremy raised his arms up against the blinding blows, stepping back against the pressure. Jeremy ducked and attempted to sweep Marco by the legs. Anticipating this, Marco jumped and drop kicked the little boy. Jeremy tumbled to the ground hard, abdomen first as the air in his lungs were released.

"Point Diaz."

Marco watched as Jeremy tried to push himself back up, his arms shook beneath the pressure. Marco took a few steps back and bolted towards the little boy. Once again, he jumped high into the air, rotated his body clockwise with his right leg out and struck the boy in the face with the side of his foot sending the boy flying towards the bleachers. Jeremy made impact with the bleachers and he tumbled down until he landed down to the ground, a nearly mangled mess.

"Match Diaz, Marco wins," called out the instructor.

Marco jumped up and down, cheering. Star ran up to him and wrapped her arms around Marco, pressing her face next to Marco.

"Wow Marco, that was amazing." Marco looked off to the side, to see a Jeremy groaning in pain. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah, the sparring gear was meant to take blows like that."

"Marco Diaz, your determination and grit you have demonstrated today surpassing everything I have seen in my years of teaching at Strip mall dojos across America." Master Keith grabbed a bag with a blue belt inside. "It is my honour to present you, this factory refurbished Blue belt."

Marco's eyes opened wide. He swiped it from his instructor's hand, taking off his green belt and tying the Blue belt in its place.

"Congratulations, Marco," Star said with a closed, genuine smile.

Marco bowed to his instructor before leaving the Dojo.

"Arigato, Keith-san." Marco said as he walked out the door. Keith looked at him confused

"Hey kid, what does Ari-ga whatever mean?"

Jeremy only replied with pained sobs.

* * *

Marco untied his belt and slung it across his shoulder as he walked down the street with Star, who was riding on Jackie's skateboard.

"These belts can actually get really tight after a while," Marco said.

"Can I try it on?" Star asked pleadingly.

"Oh, alright." Marco passed the blue belt to Star. He demonstrated how to tie the belt properly to star, failing each time. Star gave up after the fifth or so attempt and passed it back to Marco. "Its okay, Star, I can show you another time.

"Hey Star. Thanks for helping me get my Blue belt today and supporting me. I don't know if I could have gotten this belt without you." Star stared at Marco and smiled innocuously.

"No problem, Marco," she replied. "That's what friends are for right?"

"You remember that thing I said this morning about all the good things getting away from me." Star nodded. "Well, I almost forgot today that you were one of those things. But you're here now, and there is nothing in the world that will make me let go of you. You're just too good a friend, Star."

Star couldn't think of a suitable response, except for some faint blushing. While distracted, she nearly tripped over a crack while riding the skateboard. She avoided it with a kick flip.

"When did you get good with Skateboard?" Marco asked. "And where did you get it?"

"Hey guys," a familiar voice called out from across the street. Marco tensed up as Jackie Lynn Thomas jaywalked across the street to meet up with the duo.

"Hi, Jackie," Star greeted. She passed the skateboard to Jackie. "Guess which Karate master got his blue belt today?"

"You passed, Marco." Jackie walked next to Marco and hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Nice job, safe kid, I always knew you had it in ya."

Marco could only respond with stutters and stammers, barely able to project a comprehensible word properly. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks like a tsunami.

"Anyways, I'll catch you guys around sometime this week." Jackie placed her feet on the skateboard and rolled it down the street. "Later."

Marco stood there unblinking, cheeks still a faint red colour and silently whimpering underneath his breath.

"I don't remember the last time Jackie has ever spoken to me or touched me like that. Star, this might be one of the greatest days of my life." Marco reminded himself of one important fact that nearly flew out his mind. "Too bad she's still dating that Justin jerk."

"Oh, Justin?" Star asked. "They broke up like yesterday, Jackie told me to keep it under wraps, whatever that means."

"Well I take that back then," Marco said with the biggest open smile he could muster. "This is the greatest day of my life!"

* * *

 **If you read that all the way through, Thank you very much. It actually means a lot to me.**

 **Again, Reviews will help me better my writing. They aren't necessary, but they help.**

 **Also, tell me if any of these episodes intrigue you:**

 ***Episode 2: Star's New Smartphone**

 ***Episode 3: Now Say it, With Confidence**

 ***Episode 4: Was it Jackie Lynn or Jacqueline?**

 **Anyways, Thanks for Reading**


	3. Star's New Smartphone Part 1

**Hey Everyone, I'm here with a new chapter**

 **So in my first chapter, I actually fucked up. It turns out, the blonde buff dude from episode two actually has a name. Justin. I just called him Brad because that's what I call all dude bros like him.**

 **Episode 2: Star's New Smartphone Part 1**

 **Description: After meddling around with his phone for too long, Star goes on the hunt with Marco for the perfect phone to suit her needs**

 **I had a lot of fun with this chapter, for reasons I'll tell you guys later. Enjoy!**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SvTFOE, that belongs to Daron Nefcy. I should watch Blood Moon Ball after**

 **(Edit 8/5/2015: Split Episodes in 2 parts for less reading load for one chapter. I know this will screw up the current reviews for each episode, but I feel like this is necessary. To any followers, I'm sorry for the spam of story updates this splitting will cause.)**

* * *

Star and Marco were the first ones to leave class at the ring of the bell. While Marco had his head buried in his textbook, Star had a skip in her step and took long, graceful strides in the air.

"—after the sun absorbs all the water into the clouds, the clouds get really heavy, and once they get really heavy, they let the water loose into rain to get rid of it," Marco said.

"Oh, "Star replied, "The water cycle something entirely different in Mewni.

"Legends said that 'Water is just the tears of dead Mewni royalty. Every time you take too much water, they get sad and cry a lot. Their tears replace all the used up water in the lakes and rivers.'"

Star had been living with Marco for an extended amount of time now, so he's used to her quirky, upbeat nature and general weirdness about everything.

This time, Marco just stared at Star.

"Mewni doesn't sound like a very scientifically progressive kingdom," Marco said.

"Not really, "Star replied, "We don't even have half the techy stuff you have in your room back at home. I always thought television was a vision-based superpower before I got sent to Earth."

Marco shrugged, while Star went back to chewing on her wand. Marco felt a vibration in his pocket.

He scrounged his pocket for his phone before a certain embarrassing ringtone blared. _Space Unicorn, soaring through the stars!_

Marco answered it.

"Hello," Marco said, "who is this? Oh, hi Oskar. No, this isn't Star. Hang on I'll –"

"Gimme!" Star yanked the phone off Marco's hand. "Hi Oskar, what's up?"

Star's conversation went on for an increasingly long time. She was mid-sentence when the call dropped.

Confused, she pulled the phone away from her ear and tinkered at it, trying to find anything wrong with it.

"Marco, what happened?" Everything seemed to be in order, at least in Star's eyes. "Why did the call go _bloop_?"

Star passed the phone to Marco, who went through all the settings and his phone plan application to find the problem

"Here's the problem, we're out of minutes." Marco's eyes lit up and his mouth opened wide. "Star, we're out of minutes. It's the first week of the month, how did you use up all the minutes?"

"I don't know, "Star replied, "I barely ever use your phone."

"Star, I'm looking through the call history, and there are 326 outgoing calls to Oskar just yesterday."

"What? He wouldn't pick up."

Off to the side, they hear crying and wailing from a burly man.

They turned their eyes to the left to find Justin, Echo Creek Academy's finest quarterback, groveling on the ground and Jackie stepping back from him. Janna stood behind her, pressing her hands against her mouth, failing to contain the snickers.

"Jackie, aren't you listening to me?" Justin said. "You were everything to me. Why don't you understand that?"

"We talked about this before, I thought we ended this peacefully already." Jackie looked down onto the blubbering mess of a man, unamused by the turn of events.

Everyone in the vicinity took out their camera phones. Star and Marco propped themselves up on a car roof to get a better view of the spectacle.

"Justin, even you agreed that we needed some space."

"I was wrong Jackie, I can't live another moment without you." Justin pulled out a scrunched-up sheet of paper from his pocket, clearing his throat before going on. "I have wrote you something that will show you how I truly feel and make you understand how much you mean to me. 'To my sweet Jackie…'"

The crowd snickered at every mispronounced syllable and cheesy line. Jackie buried her reddened face with her hands. Marco tumbled over the car, barely able to contain his laughter. Star cooed at the bumbling idiot's serenade, finding something romantic in it. Jackie turned away from the star quarterback and walked away.

Justin tried to catch up to her, as he said, "Your booty is a treasure chest, everyone is hunting for it." Jackie responded with a slap to the face that knocked him to the ground.

Marco keeled over in laughter, rolling on his back while howling in the air. Star gave a hand and picked him back up off the ground.

"I'm sorry, but that was a pretty awful thing to say," Marco said as he wiped a tear from his eye. "He should just stick to football, because he's not going to pick up any girls with lines like that."

Star nodded. Marco's phone vibrated on his hand constantly, much to the annoyance and confusion of Marco.

"Wait Marco, I think I'm signed onto Pictogram on your phone, give it, "she said as she snatched the phone off of his hand once more.

"Careful Star, it's almost out of battery."

Star looked through her notifications on her Pictogram account. The first one was a one minute video of Justin reciting his poem to Jackie. Star pressed the plus button.

The next video was Justin again, crying on the ground as Jackie looked down fidgeting and reeling herself back from the sobbing mass. Star pressed the minus button.

"Star, you're draining the life out of my phone, give it back."

"In a minute, Diaz, "she replied. The rest of the notifications were update posts over the Justin-Jackie debacle. Star scrolled through each one, before the phone logo popped over the screen and the phone shut itself down. She stared at the blank screen. "Marco, now the phone went _bloop_."

"That's it Star, we're getting you a new phone."

* * *

Inside an abandoned apartment building in the outskirts of Echo Creek, a portal opened up in one of the empty rooms.

A robed fellow with his face cloaked popped out of the portal, landing feet first on the sordid ground. He scoured his bag and found a metallic canister with a viscous fluid that bubbled inside.

The robed-figure tore the pin off and chucked it into the portal. As the portal closed in on itself, the canister detonated into a cascade of flames. The last thing that was heard from the portal were the screams of pain.

"Oh Percy, you done it again," he said.

He surveyed his surroundings with a happy, if slightly chipper disposition. From his backpack, he grabbed a pair of scissors that had a beeping, red light as well as diamond encrusted decorations on the handle. Percy pulled the scissors on both ends and snapped it in half and the beeping light died. It was chucked out the nearest window.

 _Welp, I might be stuck here for the long-haul, but ain't nobody following me here in this dingy little world._

Percy sauntered through the abandoned apartment with a lively whistle. He didn't pay any mind over the scattered pieces of trash that covered the floor. By the door, he noticed a mirror. He walked up to it and examined his rather disheveled appearance.

The bottom of the robe was burnt and singed off while the sleeves were slightly ripped.

Next, he lifted his robe up to find a fairly deep cut on right shin. Percy ripped a piece of his dress shirt inside his robe, using it as a makeshift bandage as he tied it around his wound.

Finally, he unveiled his robe and he was staring at his own reflection with all three eyes that formed a triangle. Something else was bothering Percy however, as if there was something missing.

"Hey, Bessie, come on out, they ain't gonna try hurt us no more." A metallic arm-like appendage extended from his right shoulder. It hung low, as if it were a whimpering mouse cornered by a pack of vicious cats.

"You don't look too swell," Percy said. "Let's see if I could fix you up."

Percy walked out the room, mechanical arm still hanging over his right shoulder. He inspected the new room, which was much larger than the other one. Even more trash was scattered throughout the floor and massive cobwebs littered every corner of the room.

A wooden table was on the other side of the room. He walked up to it, swatting away dangling cobwebs catching on his face. When he made it to the table, he dropped his bag on dingy counter top.

"Alright boy, off you go." The arm detached itself and placed itself on the table. "Bessie, diagnostic report now."

The hydraulics in the arm shuffled around before a computerized voice spoke out from the arm.

The computerized voice responded, "Death ray is offline. Targeted Precision Strike is on stand-by. Extension function is on stand-by. Do you wish for auto-repair?"

"Yes, Bessie."

"Estimated repair time thirty minutes," the arm replied. "Beginning automated repairs now."

"Perfect, "Percy said. "Hopefully by the end of the day, you'll be back in one piece, good as new."

Percy surveyed the barren, desolate room, putting his fingers over his chin.

 _We can set up an armory on this side,_ pointing to the right side, _all past experiments and inventions can go into the other room._

The possibilities struck Percy like a flash of lightning. A _nd on this side, the bookshelf can go there. This is so exciting, how have I never left home 'til now?_ A bolt came loose from the arm, dropping on the table; the slight clank caught Percy's attention.

"Oh, you poor thing," Percy said, fetching a screwdriver from his knapsack, "you're falling apart. Let Percy fix you up. Gosh, once I'm done it'll be like the day you first came to life. You remember that day, don't ya? By golly, it was the first time I tried the reanimation spell and it worked out oh so well."

Percy chuckled. He took the loose screw and tightened it back in. He carefully trailed across the rest of the arm, tightening up any other loose bolts. The arm eased up as Percy coddled the arm with broad strokes.

A portal opened up in the back of the room quietly. A man in a commando uniform and a balaclava stepped out of the portal, without disturbing Percy.

"I got you now kid," he muttered under his breath as he unsheathed his sabre. He took his steps slowly and steadily, barely even making a sound. The man grinned as the robed figure was too preoccupied with his contraption. When the man was right behind Percy, he raised his sword up before the man noticed a twinge of pink light casted on his eyes.

"You know, it's mighty rude of you to walk into my humble abode, unannounced, "Percy said, as he swung his pink, translucent gauntlet square onto the man's jaw. The impact tumbled the man over to the ground, his sabre dropped to the side. He barely had the chance to look up as the mechanical arm pounced from above. It wrapped around his body and stuffed its hand into his mouth.

 _Must be one of them leftovers from the hit squad._ The gauntlet phased out of his hand. Percy walked up to the grizzled, muscular man bound and gagged by the mechanical arm; the mechanical hand gag muffled his screams.

"Anyone else with you?" Percy asked. The man shook his head. "Well then, welcome stranger. I wasn't really expecting any visitors this early. I do apologize for the mess. Hold on, let me get you comfy, you must've had a long day."

Percy frisked through his knapsack, feeling through all the food, water and other essential supplies. His eyes lit up as he pulled up a rusty, metallic cube with a bright, red button. He pressed it and dropped it to the ground. It morphed into a hollow, cubic structure with a tinted, circular window. Inside the chamber, various arms and dangerous contraptions hung from the top.

"Again, I apologize, this is the best I can do for such short notice" –he dragged the man off the ground by the mechanical arm—"if I had the materials, I would definitely fix you up something much more welcoming." He opened the chamber door and hurled him in. The mechanical arm released its grasp and reattached to Percy's shoulder. Percy slammed the chamber door shut.

"Let me out, Let me out!" the man pleaded, banging on the door. "Let me go home, I promise not to tell the Rave—"a pair of hands protruded from the wall behind the man, clasping onto his mouth. Other pairs of hands grabbed onto his other limbs to prevent any escape. The man stood face-to-face with a mini buzz saw.

"Well, again try to make yourself comfortable, "Percy said with a smile, his voice piercing through the muffled screaming. "I have to grab some supplies to spruce this place up." Percy grabbed a small, burlap sack from his backpack, stuffing it into his sleeves. He exited the building with a nonchalant gait, unbothered by the constant muffled screaming.

"Now where can I find some materials in this dumpy, little dimension?" On cue, a flyer for an electronic store flew by.

It landed near his side, the page presenting a variety of electronics. Percy picked it up and skimming through the flyer.

"This'll do just fine."

* * *

"Here we are Star, Circuit Universe."

Marco spread his arms as wide as he can to magnify the scale of the superstore. Behind them was a huge parking lot more befitting that of an amusement park.

The two stared at the massive behemoth of an electronic shop as customers poured in and out the electronic emporium.

"I mean, I get this is a huge building Marco, but how will this help me get a new phone?" Star smirked as Marco slammed his hand on his head.

"Let's go Star, "Marco said.

As the duo entered the store, they're eyes were assaulted by the endless view of electronics that seemed to stretch towards the edge of town. From televisions, refrigerators, computer supplies, video games to cell phones, every conceivable electronic/computer appliance was available for purchase.

"Whoa Marco, this place is amazing, "Star said. "I don't even know what half these things are, but I want all of them." She noticed a sign pointing towards a plethora of 3-D televisions. Star squealed and attempted to saunter off, but Marco pulled her back.

"Star, we're here to get you a new cellphone." Marco dragged Star to the cell phone booth despite her protests. "Not to play around in the store. We can do that this weekend if you want. Got it, princess?"

"Yes mom, "Star said, pouting her lips and crossing her arms.

They arrived at the cell phone booth, where a variety of different phones were displayed. A pink keyboard phone caught Star's eye. She pointed directly at it, begging Marco for it.

"You want that overpriced piece of junk?" Marco asked. "Please Star, allow me to find you the perfect phone for you." Star sighed.

Star pointed at a sleek, chrome-coloured smartphone. The sign on top mentions something about a quad-core processor and LCD touchscreen. Marco glanced over the phone, shaking his head.

Marco presented the next phone, a smartphone with a massive touchscreen and fairly bulky design.

"How am I supposed to carry that around?" Star asked, eying on a different phone. "Oh, how about that one?"

Both of them picked up different phones consecutively, every time shooting each phone down for whatever reason.

Marco rubbed his temple and said, "We're not really getting anywhere with this are we?" Star shook her head.

A short, pudgy man in a red Circuit Universe uniform walked by Marco. "Hey you, we need some help here."

"Welcome to Circuit Universe, how can I help you today?" the pudgy man asked as he turned around.

"Fergusson?" Marco looked at him with a bemused face. "You work here?"

"Yeah man. My dad practically owns the store."

Star and Marco expressed their satisfaction with content sighs. Star peered at all the individual phones on display, most of them they have already turned down.

"Then you can help us, right?" Star asked, staring at Fergusson with non-blinking eyes. "It shouldn't be this hard to pick a phone."

"You're right, it shouldn't be difficult." Fergusson pulled out a sleek, wafer-thin cell phone from his pocket. Star noted the cute design of a pineapple on the back of the phone. "There is only one viable choice of phone, and that is the pInePhone 6T, the latest demonstration of human ingenuity by PineApple."

"Are you kidding me?" Marco said, his livid voice raising the attention of a few on-lookers. "You expect me to pass of that technological piece of trash to the Princess of Mewni herself?"

"Marco, I think it looks ni–"

"No Star, I will make sure your hands will not be tarnished by an overpriced, outdated piece of plastic." Fergusson took his words in mock-offense.

"Marco, how can you say such a thing?" Fergusson asked, waving the phone in front of Marco's face. "The 6T has a dual core processor that blows every other phone out of the metaphorical water."

Marco held up the chrome-plastered phone from before and said, "This phone has a quad core processor, and is a quarter the price of that rotten pineapple thing."

"Well Marco, here's the thing…"

Star watched from the side as the boys bantered on about processors and video resolution. _I swear they are making most of those words up,_ she thought after hearing about 'optical image stabilization' for the third time.

She eyed her reflection on a nearby mirror, noticing her usual heart plastered cheeks replaced with rotating hourglasses. She yawned in front of the bickering boys, but hadn't caught their attention whatsoever.

"I'm just going to go if you two don't mind, "Star said, backing away. "I'll be back whenever you guys are done doing whatever. Sound good? Good." Star ran and didn't look back.

* * *

The first thing on Star's mind were the 3-D television sets. An entire section of the store was cordoned off just for it, with a black, leather sofa for the viewer and a pair of 3-D glasses on a stand next to it.

Star hopped on the couch, submerging herself in the leather. When she stared at the television, she squinted her eyes to see anything past the blurry pixels. A woman with a red Circuit Universe vest walked up to Star.

"Hi sweetie, welcome to Circuit Universe, how can I help you?"

"There's something wrong with the TV," Star said, "it's all blurry and fuzzy."

The woman snickered and said, "Well, that's because you aren't wearing the glasses, silly." The woman grabbed a pair of tinted glasses from the stand, wiping the lenses before passing it off to Star. "Here, put these on."

Star adjusted the glasses before looking back at the screen. The blurry pixels were now a cleared up image of a cowboy armed with a pistol. Star noticed the pistol popped out the television slightly

"Better?" the woman asked.

"Much better," Star said, "Thanks."

"Anytime, young lady." The woman walked away with a wide smile on her face.

Star laid on the couch and focused on the western action and excitement bursting out of the screen. Although, bursting would be a bit of an overstatement, as the 3-D effects weren't very noticeable in Star's eyes.

Aside from more well-defined facial features, the 3-D was very underwhelming.

Star stood up from the couch, tossed the glasses off to the side and bolted to the other side of the store.

She found herself in the middle of the video game section, surrounded by a cascade of video games, new releases and old. Star galloped across each corridor of video game shelves, until her eyes glanced upon a game console set up near the Vinteno shelves, with the console attached to a small television.

A morbidly obese man stood in front of the screen, tablet controller in hand. She squished between the game shelf and the man's flabs of fat to pass through.

Star shivered, wiping her arms off from possible sweat and grease. The princess lifted her head to the screen, and watched as a squid girl splattered ink all over the environment. She made a mental note to ask Marco for the game.

Star sauntered off to the computer section next, too distracted by the technology to notice the purple robed figure in front of her until she bumped into him. The princess stumbled on impact, landing on her butt.

"Oh sorry," Star said as she lifted her head up, "I wasn't looking."

"No, it's my fault, "the man said, extending his hand to the princess, "I shouldn't have been standing in your way that was very ungentlemanly-like of me."

Star took a deeper inspection of the man, his face concealed by a hood and the star patterns covering the entirety of the robe.

"Say, can you help me get that case up there?" He pointed to the black computer case above his head. "I can't seem to reach it."

Star nodded and pulled her wand out. She focused on the computer case as the wand emitted a blue, sparkling light. Blue light wrapped around the case and it floated down to the man's feet.

"Thank you, kind ma'am." The robbed figure took a bow in front of the princess. "Pardon me, but allow me to introduce myself. The names Percival Leopold Middleton the third. Or just call me Percy, I reckon"

"Star Butterfly, but just call me Star." She extended a hand to Percy, and he reciprocated, shaking each other's hands.

"Reckon, you know your way around this place, right?" Star shook her head. "Well, do you mind keeping me company? I just moved here and it would be mighty nice if I had a friend if it's not a hassle."

Star looked off to the side to see Marco and Fergusson still locked in argument. A few on-lookers even surrounded the two.

"I don't see why not, "Star said with a shrug.


	4. Star's New Smartphone Part 2

**Episode 2: Star's New Smartphone Part 2**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own SvTFOE, that belongs to Daron Nefcy. I should watch Blood Moon Ball after**

 **(Edit 8/6/2015: Split Episodes in 2 parts for less reading load for one chapter. I know this will screw up the current reviews for each episode, but I feel like this is necessary. To any followers, I'm sorry for the spam of story updates this splitting will cause.)**

* * *

Star followed Percy around as he pushed a shopping cart filled with computer parts and wiring. Sometimes, Percy would ask Star to levitate various other parts from the top shelves. They passed by the 3-D television set. Curious, Percy picked them up and placed them in front of his eyes.

"The 3-D isn't very good," Percy said.

"Yeah it's totally overrated, "Star replied, "the 3-D isn't even real"

Percy lifted his hand towards the television. With the flick of the wrist, the scene projected outwards towards the Princess, witnessing the scene in tangible 3 dimensions.

"Whoa, "Star said, mouth wide open as she reached her arms out to the projections, "this is pretty cool."

"Well, you can say I'm really good when it comes to technology." Percy pushed his cart forward, and motioned Star to come over. "Come on missy, we still got a few more things to grab." Star rushed to the robed man.

They arrived at a corridor of refrigerators, which extended all the way to the back of the store.

"Are you sure you can fit one of these into the cart?" Star knocked on one of them. "These things look pretty heavy."

"We ain't taking the whole thing though." Percy pulled out a screwdriver from the inside of his robe, tinkering with the insides of the biggest refrigerator he could find. "I only need the coolant."

Star shifted her eyes both ways, backing up and extending her arms out to hide Percy from view.

"So…" Star trailed off, attempting to think of something to talk about, "Percy, this is your first day here right?"

Percy popped out of the inside of the fridge and nodded.

"Well, allow me to be the first one to welcome you to Echo Creek. What brings you around here, anyways?"

He placed his hands on his chin, thinking over the answer before replying, "Well, the folks back home were giving me a hard time and such, and I decided to move here, get a fresh start and all that."

"A fresh start, eh?"

Percy tugged out various coils and other parts of the fridge, no one else in the store batting an eye over the blatant destruction of property.

"Yeah, "Percy said, "there were a bunch of disagreements that arose back home. It got really violent at times. Things got so bad, I just went off and left, not even sayin' good bye to anyone on the way out. I didn't really want to, honestly speaking."

"I get what you're saying, Percy." Star chucked on of the detached parts on to the cart. "I had to leave home because I was causing lots of problems back there. I think my parents just wanted to get rid of me."

Percy popped out of the refrigerator, shoving the screwdriver back into his robes. He put a hand on the princess's shoulder.

"Well, it's been my first day here, and already I like it here more than home. I got to spend time with a belle in a blue dress, so I'm happy enough."

"Oh this ol' thing, "Star replied, flattered and flaunting her blue dress, "I just put it on, because Marco said I looked the best in it. Speaking of Marco…"

Star peered off to the side where she noticed the two guys shaking hands over an agreement.

"I have to get back to my friend Marco before he does something really stupid." Star sauntered off to the cell phone section. "Hope to see you more around Echo Creek, take care."

Percy waved back at the galloping girl.

Star arrived to an exhausted, but relieved Marco, as Fergusson walked to the counter, checking underneath and reaching for a phone.

"It took a little while, but Star, I think I've found the perfect phone for you, " he said, handing Star a brochure for a sleek, pink smartphone. "It basically the same phone you wanted at first, but has better everything."

Star stared at the piece of paper, she said, "Aww, Marco, you really went through a lot of trouble to find this haven't you. Thanks buddy." She squealed and wrapped her hands around him.

"It's my pleasure Star," Marco replied, "I might have just emptied my savings account, but I'm happy if you're happy. So, how did you find Circuit Universe?"

Star took her arms off from Marco and stared at him dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I noticed you went off a while ago. So how did you –"

The store alarms went off mid-sentence, Marco and Star turned their heads towards the entrance to the Store, to find several Circuit Universe workers, Fergusson included, surrounding Percy and his cart of assorted electronics. Marco caught up to the crowd, Star lagging behind him.

"What are you doing mister?" Fergusson asked. "You have to pay for those things."

"Oh, well, I didn't realize this place had the concept of currency," Percy replied, to the confusion of a few employees. "I didn't mean to cause such a ruckus, but I don't have any money on me currently, my apologies"

Star shoved her way to the front of the scene, pushing several workers to the side.

"Percy, what do you think you're doing?" Star asked.

"You know this guy, Star?" Marco asked, as he was shoving his way to the front.

Star pulled Marco when he got close enough, as she said, "Yeah, I was helping him grab a few things from the store." Eyes turned to the girl in the blue dress. "I didn't know he was gonna leave with everything without paying."

"Yeah," Marco replied. "What are you even gonna do with a cart of broken electronic stuff anyways?"

"Well, it ain't any of your business anyways," Percy said, raising his hand, a pink light glowing around it. "Now, it would be awfully nice to have a chit-chat with each and every one of you, but I have to get back home real fast."

A variety of electronic appliances, several of which had been tampered by Percy himself, rose from their shelves, forming a gigantic, monstrous construct.

Percy whistled towards mechanical monster, catching its attention. He motioned it over to his side. The electronic construct rushed to Percy, bellowing out a guttural roar, chasing off the crowd of Circuit Universe employees. Marco and Star looked at it dumbfounded, as it vaulted over the two and skidded to Percy's side.

"This is a homunculus," Percy said, "now this thing will be more than happy to keep everybody company."

Marco and Star lifted their heads at the monster's growling face, eyes opened wide. Everyone else hid behind shelves and counters.

"Who are you?" they both asked in unison.

"Fair question, allow me to reintroduce myself," Percy said, taking his hood off to reveal his three-eyed face and unkempt, purple mullet. "The name's Percival Leopold Middleton the third, Technological Magician Extraordinaire. But I reckon Percy, the Tech Mage is fine too."

From his right shoulder, a mechanical arm rose, ascending above his head. Marco and Star set themselves up in fighting stances, Marco with a standard Karate sparring pose and Star holding out her wand.

"Come on Percy, I know you aren't a bad guy," Star said, "so just pay for all the stuff and Marco and I can deal with metal piece of junk."

The monster made of electronic appliances took offense to that statement.

"Problem is missy, I ain't got nothing to pay with," Percy replied, "and I don't like hitting pretty ladies like yourself. I ain't hunkering for a fight, so I'm just gonna –"

The hydraulics in the mechanical arm shifted around, making very noticeable noises.

"Death Ray re-initialized," a robotic voice announced.

"On second thought, maybe I can stay for a few minutes."

* * *

"Death, ray?" Marco said, lowering his guard.

"Eyup, this lil thing." The mechanical arm fired a darkened, reddish laser in a horizontal line on the ground, leaving a singed trail behind. An explosion follows in its wake and blew back Star and Marco.

Out from the smoke, the homunculus barreled out, arms stretched. Both rolled to the side, as it slid into the wall head-first. Marco motioned Star to deal with the homunculus.

"Candy Cane Burst!"

Star launched repeated bursts of sharpened candy canes onto the homunculus's face. Covering his face, the homunculus held steadfast against the assault of candy canes.

Marco made a break for Percy. He sprinted, lifting his foot up for a kick. As Marco formed a side-kick, Percy blocked the impact by summoning a pink gauntlet on his right hand. Marco settled on his feet just as Percy stepped back.

Percy flipped a blue, blipping dot which landed on Marco's stomach. A blue ray discharged from Percy's metal arm onto Marco. It knocked him back to cell phone counter, air winding out his lungs. Marco's hoodie smoldered from the blast.

"Yeah, I'm not getting paid enough to stay here," Fergusson said as he jogged to the back exit.

Star kept firing bursts of candy canes on the homunculus. It punted the air. Star dived underneath its lifted legs and took aim at Percy.

"Narwhal Blast!"

A Narwhal charged towards Percy. He took cover by shoving over a table. Narwhals battered the table, it chipped away at the cover as Percy pulled out a dozen white jacks from his sleeves. He threw them in the air. It detonated into an outburst of electricity.

Percy leapt from the table. Just as he was about to be hit by a Narwhal, Percy morphed into the cloud of electricity, to Star's surprise.

Marco vaulted over the counter, a flash of lightning charged towards him.

Percy materialized in front of Marco, as he took a hook to the face. Marco sputtered out a ball of spit as he hopped backwards. He stared forwards as he clutched his burn mark.

The tech mage flicked out more blue dots, arm laser firing on whatever they landed on. Taking the opportunity, Marco postured forward, landing various hook kicks onto Percy. The frail mage stumbled after every blow, sneaking another jack out. He detonated it behind him and phased into the explosion of electricity. He emerged farther from Marco, creating distance from him.

Percy fired another death ray, Marco rushed away from it. The homunculus was falling on top of Marco as Percy hurled another blipping dot in Marco's direction.

"Ethereal Lasso!"

A glowing rope emerged from her wand. She whipped it over to Marco's side and reeled him in before the homunculus's impact cracked the ground. Marco sighed in relief.

Marco and Star caught a deep breath before standing back, Marco shaky and disoriented. They took a moment to absorb their surroundings, where they seem to be in-between shelves of video games. A shelf drifted overhead, landing on the other side of the room. Star peeked over the shelf to find a charging homunculus.

They screamed as they vaulted over shelves of video games. The homunculus tackled through the shelves, each one fracturing from every blow. Cartridges of games flew over the duo.

One of them struck Marco in the back of the leg, tumbling the boy over. Star lassoed him over the next shelf.

On the other side of the section, Percy propped himself over a ladder. He launched his death ray near the duo in a horizontal line. Marco and Star bolted from the ray, only to be intersected by the sprinting homunculus.

"Rainbow Blastback!"

A rainbow shockwave detonated in close proximity. It propelled the duo and the homunculus in different directions. Star lassoed Marco before he flew too far. The homunculus crashed next to Percy. He cringed at the impact.

Marco and Star landed next to the PineApple product section. Star stood up, arming her wand once more. Marco yanked her underneath one of the tables.

"Hey!" Star said, deactivating her wand.

"He won't find us here for a little bit." Marco passed out on the ground, as the entire store was filled with the sounds of screaming customers, explosive laser blasts and guttural roars. "Star, I think we should just let him go."

"What do you mean?"

Marco tore off his singed hoodie and tended to the burn mark left by the precision laser. "I mean, it's just a bunch of broken electronic parts and computer cases. Is all that junk really worth getting hit by a laser blast? Especially one that explodes?"

"Come on, Marco, "Star said, tinkering her wand, "We've fought dozens of bad guys at once before, we can totally take on tw–"

A blast of lightning shattered the table, knocking the two back to the display cases.

The homunculus pinned Marco down with his foot. Star reached out to him.

Percy rematerialized in front of Star and his mechanical arm detached itself. It shackled itself around Stars body. It tightened its grip as she tried to squirm out of it.

"Oh boy, now that was fun, "Percy said. "I'll admit, I was a little apprehensive about the locals around here, but you two know how to give a newcomer like me a good time."

Percy chuckled as Star continued to struggle against her bonds, suffocating from the increasing pressure.

"Oh, Star, honey, I wouldn't be doin' that if I were you." He walked past Marco, who was smothered by the massive homunculi leg. "Now, I'm kinda curious about that little thingy you got holdin' around."

The wand was to Star's side. She extended her hands out, but the mechanical arm's grip made it impossible.

"Now, let me see"—a loud, repetitive beep emanated from Percy's wrist. He pull up his sleeves, revealing a blinking alarm watch—"Oh, no, now I'm running late."

The arm released Star. It reattached to his shoulder, towering above his head.

"Well, I've had a wonderful day, Star, let's meet up again sometime soon." Percy left a dazed and disoriented Star on the ground as he walked towards the exit doors. "Oh, and you should definitely deal with that homunculus, it gets more violent the longer it stays up. Bye, bye now."

Percy made his way to the exit, pushing the cart before phasing into an electrical current from a frayed power line, along with the materials.

Star noticed the homunculus pushing his foot harder down onto Marco, the boy asphyxiated by the pressure.

"Cupcake Blast!"

A barrage of projectile cupcakes fired from Star's wand. It battered the monster's foot knocking it off balance. It plummeted onto a section of blu-ray DVDs, one of the customers jumping out the way before it made impact with the ground.

She lassoed Marco up as the homunculus stood up again, charging at the duo. Star and Marco raced against the giant electronic monster, running through the section of televisions. Marco's legs tumbled over, almost tripping over himself.

The homunculus trailed behind them, knocking over several television sets. Marco slid underneath one as it fell down. At the end of the corridor of televisions, they shifted to the right, out of the monster's sight. Star popped out, wand out.

"Cherry bomb!"

Star opened fire with a bombardment of large, explosive cherries. The homunculus intercepted each blast by holding its arms up. One of them ruptured the chest revealing part of a glowing yellow orb floating in its body. Marco peaked up, spotting the orb.

"I think that's the weak spot," Marco said, "a few blasts on that thing, and it's gone."

Star's eyes opened wide in a flash of brilliance. "Hey, Marco, if you do this little thing for me, I'll do whatever you want, just ask me anytime."

"Alright sure, what do you have—"

"Ethereal Lasso!"

Marco didn't have time to react as the ropes threw him towards the homunculus.

"Distract it so I can have a clear shot at its weak spot."

Marco landed right in front of the monster. It slammed a fist onto Marco. He leapt to the side, the homunculus exposed his chest. Star fired another cherry bomb, blasting the homunculus and exposing the weak spot. It staggered back.

Marco chucked various computer equipment at the homunculus, to the ire of the beast. "Over here, you clod." Marco rolled underneath a telegraphed punch.

He climbed its back to the top of the homunculus. It tried to swat off Marco, only further damaging itself in the process. As Marco was on its chest, the monster took a fist and slammed it right where Marco was.

The yellow orb was fully exposed.

Star rose to the air, her wand making streaks of rainbow light.

"Shooting Star Sigils!"

Swift star-shaped projectiles punctured the core, cracking it apart. As the core cracked, so did the homunculus's body. It exploded in an outburst of electronic appliances. The blast blew back Marco to Star. He motioned Star to prop him up.

"Anything right?"

Star nodded as she pulled Marco up.

The Circuit Universe employees and customers broke out of cover and hammered out a round of applause to the duo. A short, stout man with an orange afro and unkempt mustache shuffled up to Marco and Star.

"Hello, I'm the franchise owner of this particular store, "he said, extending a hand out to both of them. "I would like to personally thank you for saving the lives of everyone in Circuit Universe."

"Oh, well, Marco and I fight monsters all the time. Isn't that right, Marco?"

Marco stammered out hacking coughs in reply.

"I have noticed you were picking out smartphones to buy. Well, on behalf of Circuit Universe, you two can have any smartphone you want, for free, with unlimited talk, text and data. Just please, never come here again."

Star squealed in delight over the new phone.

* * *

"Rise and shine, partner."

Percy opened the chamber doors. A diminutive robot with patches of furry felt and teddy bear leg stumps emerged from the chamber. The creature stared at its metallic arms, shaking. It looked up to the robed figure with purple hair.

"Well, aren't you a cute little critter"

The teddy/robot hybrid's screams were a high pitched wailing noise. It scurried around the room, only to be grabbed by Percy.

"Uh-uh, little fella, "Percy said, "Don't be so restless. I've made a lot of you, and the first mistake they always make is that they use way too much energy. That's how they end up broken in five minutes."

The robot put its hands over its head. It could only communicate its plight with a high pitched moan.

"Well don't be so sad little buddy, I'm gonna need you dearly. Once we get this place up and going, it's going to be you and me versus the world.

"After all, this is our new home now. And ain't nobody gonna bother us anymore, I guarantee that."

* * *

"And done," Marco said, lying in Star's bed, "Here you go. Everything should be set up just the way you like it."

Marco chucked the phone to Star, who caught it with her left hand. Her other hand was preoccupied with casting a healing spell with her wand to seal most of the wounds Percy left on Marco.

"Percy did a number on your body," Star said, "Okay, now turn around."

Marco flipped over and laid on his stomach. His shirtless body exposed bruises and burn marks that made Star hold her mouth in disgust. Star covered her eyes, held out her wand and shot a soothing blue beam that eased the burns and bruises.

"Hey, Marco…" Star thought her words through. "I'm sorry I messed up your phone earlier today. If I haven't, you probably wouldn't end up a mangled mess."

"Eh, it's part of the job of fighting bad guys, right?" Marco stretched his arms out to ease the tension from his body. "You're bound to get hurt once in a while.

"And I would've just recharged my phone when I got home anyways. I even got a new phone today, so that's awesome. So, repeating my question from before, how was your Circuit Universe experience?"

Star twiddled with her phone, discovering the new apps, she said, "It was super fun, Marco. There were so many cool, techy things everywhere. Even Percy was fun to hang around with. Too bad we're not allowed there anymore. I really wanted to play that squid game."

"Oh, you mean Call of Honor: Rising Revengance of the Octopus Platoon?" Marco asked. "There's another Circuit Universe across town if you're really interested. Probably has the Vinteno set-up. Maybe this weekend, I can actually show you a good time."

Star nodded. Marco sat up from the bed and walked up to leave the room.

"Night, Star," he said as he closed the door behind him.

"Night." Star went to her text messages, to find a message from Marco, probably to test out his phone. Star sent a smiley face, giggling as she pressed the send button. She pulled the covers in her bed over her body, ready to go to sleep. Her phone vibrated in her hands. It was a test from Marco, sending her another smiley face.

"So cute."

* * *

 **Again, if you read all the way through, thank you so much.**

 **So, yeah, Percy is a villain OC I'm going to use in future episodes. I imagined Percy was voiced by Jack McBrayer (voice of Wander, from Wander over Yonder. Watch it, its good)**

 **Well, did Percy make a good enough impression? Let me know**

 **Anyways, next episode is gonna be one where Marco tries to hit on Jackie. And then the next one after that is all about Jackie.**

 **Thanks for reading**


	5. Now, Say It With Confidence Part 1

**Hey Everyone, I'm back again with another installment of _A Season of Star Vs._**

 **Before we get on with the episode, I would like to thank the people who reviewed and viewed this story. I think I'm upwards of about 850 views now. I really do appreciate it. Especially since people seem to be writing more Starco related stuff. It's not a bad thing, it's just something that made me worried when I was writing this. I'll go into more detail in that later.**

 **That said, here's Episode 3: Now, Say It With Confidence Part 1.**

 **Description: After the entire Universe Circuit Debacle, Star returns the favour by helping Marco get the girl of his dreams.**

 **Thanks to the following for Beta-Reading this episode:**

 **ACW28  
Omega Ultra  
Meiousei Dark  
silver tears85  
MissSlytherinxoxo**

 **Anyways, if you're interested, take a read and enjoy!**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Disclaimer: Disney and Daron Nefcy own this show proper, not me. I just like writing about it.**

 **(Edit 8/6/2015: Split Episodes in 2 parts for less reading load for one chapter. I know this will screw up the current reviews for each episode, but I feel like this is necessary. To any followers, I'm sorry for the spam of story updates this splitting will cause.)**

* * *

"Attention Students of Echo Creek, all welding classes for this week will be cancelled due to the theft of all welding tools last night," Principal Greeves announced on the school intercom in miffed fashion.

"Anyone with information pertaining to the theft is encouraged to speak up. I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed."

"Aww, I liked welding class." Star said as Marco turned his head over to her. "It was only class where playing with fire was encouraged."

"You're not supposed to play with the fire," Marco replied. "Surprised they even let you near a blow torch, really."

Star shrugged off the comment. She held her hands behind her back and cocked her head towards Marco, "So, Marco, have you decided on a favour yet?"

"Favour?" Marco asked. He arrived at his locker and fiddled with the lock.

"Yeah, I promised you can have anything you want after we crushed that hunk of metal parts."

"Oh yeah," Marco said as he opened his locker door, "I don't know. Ask me again tomorrow or something."

"Marco, that's what you said yesterday. Decide already."

"Well, Star, there isn't anything I really want that I don't have already." Marco pulled out a black from his locker. He opened it up to see his gym clothes mixed with Star's. "I have more than enough money, a decent home life and a healthy diet. I think I'm good for now."

Star huffed in irritation. The bell blared through the school, signalling the start of first period.

"Come on, Star," Marco said, pulling the princess by the hand, "we don't want to be late for gym."

* * *

"Ugh, I hate the physical exam," Ferguson said as he pulled down his shirt to cover his stomach, "It's so unnecessary."

"It's only once a year, Ferguson, you'll survive." Both Fergusson and Star walked beside Marco through the gym.

Star held onto her wand by biting the handle, as she struggled to tie her Rapunzel-length hair into a ponytail.

"Heads up!" someone near the back called out. Star and Marco ducked underneath the incoming football. It struck Ferguson by the side of the head, knocking him down to the ground.

"Hey Star, not to be sexist or anything, but aren't you supposed to be on the girls side," Marco said, pointing to the divider between both sides of the gym.

"Eh, there's no one I actually really want to talk to there." Star's hair cushioned an oncoming basketball. She grabbed it and chucked it to the other side. "So, this physical exam…"

Star held onto her words for a while, as Ferguson picked himself back up and caught up to the two. "What kinds of things are we doing here? Military-style bootcamp training? Gladiator battle arena? Death run simulation?"

"What, no," Marco replied, "it's really easy actually. The only thing that's really hard is the rope climbing, but other than that, the exam is just a bunch of running and push ups."

"That's easy for you to say, Marco," Ferguson said. "I swear these ropes are rigged or something whenever I try to climb one."

"That's because you're not using the proper technique. Let the master show you how it's done."

The trio walked up to one of the ropes suspended from the ceiling. Marco hopped up to the rope, grasping it with both hands. He pinched the rope between his feet and pulled himself up with his upper body, shifting up the rope. He repeated the process of pulling, ignoring the slight rope burn on his legs.

"Well, that doesn't look too bad," Star said, gnawing on her wand by habit.

Marco made it to the top, "See, not too hard. Now you just ring the bell and—"

A girl in a black sports bra and tight yoga booty shorts caught Marco's attention. Her stretches were pleasing to Marco's eyes. He felt the blood rushing to his cheeks as the girl bent down to touch the floor, giving Marco a full view of the girl's backside, well-defined by the stretchy, Lycra fabric. She turned around, catching Marco's gaze. The last thing he saw before losing his grip and tumbling down was the teal highlight on the right side of her hair.

"Marco!" Star held out her wand and a blue aura covered his body as Marco was let down slowly to the ground.

"Thanks Star, "Marco said, stretching his arms out.

"What did you see up there, Marco?" Star asked. "Actually, don't answer that, I wanna take a look myself." She hopped up to the rope, climbing up it using the same technique Marco did.

"Jackie in booty shorts?" Ferguson asked.

"Jackie in booty shorts." Ferguson tilted his head up as Star climber higher up the rope. Even Marco noticed the navy-blue gym shorts Star sported. "Don't make it so obvious, Ferguson."

"Hi, Jackie!" Star said as she waved to the other side. She jumped off the rope and with her wand, glided down Mary-Poppins style. "So that's what you saw Marco. She looks really good today, did you know that?"

Marco nodded.

Star gasped, she said, "Marco, I think I know the perfect favour I can do for you. I can—"

"Before you go on, the answer is no."

"But—"

"No."

* * *

Miss Skullnick was going over every intricate step of finding the derivative of a logarithm to the inattentive class, most of whom were either asleep or fiddling with their phones underneath their desks.

"Okay class, you all remember what a derivative is right…" she said, writing the word out on the board.

In the back, Star casted various spells on her head, transforming her hair into a variety of styles from afros to pigtails and everything in-between. Marco was reading a book, having an answer sheet on the side ready in case Skullnick decides to make him answer.

The particular book Marco was reading was a self-help, dating guide called _How to Just Go Out There and Say it._

 _Step 1: Think of the thing you want to say._

Marco rolled his eyes over how obvious that first step was.

 _Step 2: Go up to him/her and say it._

"Mr. Diaz, "Miss Skullnick bellowed out, "do you know what the answer is?"

"Hang on, umm…" Marco glanced at his answer sheet, "420." A few snickers emanated from the class. Skullnick peered on the board, double-checking the answer.

"Correct, let's move on, folks."

Marco went back to reading, keeping the sheet close.

 _Step 3: Pat yourself on the back because you finally said it._

Marco skimmed through the rest of the book for any practical advice, only to find more pseudo-science that didn't seem very accurate and useless testimonials. Marco slammed his head on his desk, letting the book drop on his head.

"Hey, Marco, whatcha reading there, "Star whispered. She plucked the book off his head, scanning through the page Marco was just on. "Marco, is this another self-help book."

"Yeah," Marco replied.

"How many more of these have you bought last week?"

"A couple," Marco replied. Star tilted her head, unconvinced. "At least five..."

"Marco, this is pathetic."

"I know."

"I've lost count on how many books you've bought, and not one of them has gotten you any closer to Jackie." Marco banged his head down on his desk again. "Marco, let me help you."

He raised his head, turning over to Star.

"I've dated a lot of guys, so I know what makes a man desirable." Star eyed up to the ceiling. "If you let me help you, I can turn you into the kind of guy Jackie will swoon over. Just let me help you. If I can't get Jackie to talk to you by tonight, you can ask me for another favour."

"You're really adamant about this, aren't you?"

Star nodded.

"Fine, go for it." Marco's voice dropped as he surrendered to her request.

Star squealed in delight.

"Miss Butterfly, do you know the answer?" Skullnick asked.

"357?" Star spouted.

Skullnick looked at the board, shifting herself back to get a broader view of the board. "You're lucky that was the answer this time."

* * *

Marco and Star shuffled out the door at the ring of the bell, squishing their way through the mob of students eager to get home. Marco was the first to pop out, landing on his knees and hands. He pulled Star out of the crowd.

Instead of going the usual path, they took a scenic route with a lower density of people.

"Alright, Star, I'll bite," Marco said, "how are we gonna do this?"

Star tipped her head to the side and nibbled on her wand. Marco knew she hadn't put much thought into this plan at all. As her friend, however, he looked at her attentively and willed himself to remain undistracted. After all, what's the worst that can come from this?

"Well…first, I think we need to build up your confidence before you even think of trying to ask out Jackie Lynn Thomas out on a date."

"Okay, sure, that's why I've been buying the books in the first place, "Marco replied.

"Well, Marco, the difference between me and those guys that write those dating books is that I've gotten on dates before. They probably haven't." Star skipped over a crack on the sidewalk.

"Okay, Marco, repeat after me: My name is Marco Diaz, and I'm here to ask you out on a date."

With a sigh, Marco mumbled out the phrase.

Star was not impressed.

"What was that?" asked Star. "I need you to be louder, project your voice, put energy into it. Say it again."

"My name is Marco Diaz and I'm here to ask you out on a date," he said, raising his voice.

"Better, "Star said, "now louder."

"My name is Marco Diaz and I'm here to ask you out on a date," Marco said, his voice echoing more conviction.

"Louder!"

"My name is Marco Diaz and I'm here to ask you out on a date!"

"Now, say it with confidence!" Star commanded.

Marco closed his eyes and bellowed out, "My name is Marco Diaz, and I'm here to ask you out!" When he opened his eyes, he saw a brown-haired girl tied in a ponytail wearing a cheerleader outfit in front of him. She stood there, mouth widening, face blushing. "Oh, uh, hi, Sabrina."

Star cringed as Sabrina poised herself awkwardly and Marco tried to stammer out a response back.

"Uh, it's not what you think," he said, feeling the blood rush to his own cheeks. He placed his hand on the back of his head, scratching it. "See, I was just doing an exercise, and… Well Star wanted to help me with my dating issues, you see… And you're a nice girl and all but—"

"Rainbow Rocket Blast!"

Star held her wand back and a burst of rainbows shot off from it. Star blasted forwards, taking Marco by the hand. They flew off as far as they could.

"Well, I'm k-kinda busy today with cheerleading stuff, "Sabrina yelled, "but I'm free on the weekend if you're interested. Just text me."

Sabrina sighed as the duo flew beyond her line of sight.

"He doesn't even have my number, does he?"

* * *

The burst of rainbows fizzled out on Star's wand. They landed on the feet-first on the sand. The sign on the side read _Echo Creek Beach_.

A meager wave from the ocean washed over their feet. Star sighed in relief and the duo began strolling across the beach, parallel to the ocean.

"You know, Sabrina is probably looking for me right now," Marco said, "we should probably find her and clear up the—"

"Marco, Jackie is more important right now. And besides, if things don't work out with Jackie, Sabrina is a really good back-up."

Marco growled underneath his breath.

"So, you have the confidence inside you that much we know. Now, it's time to channel that out into something amazing. And I know just how you can do it." Star twirled her wand around, giggling.

Marco perked his ears up, he said, "Alright, have at it Star. What do you have in mind?"

"You know how all your fancy, schmancy books always have 'The Secret' to get all the girls?" Star asked.

"Go on…"

The tides grew impatient as Star said, "Well, there is this one hidden secret that all girls in the universe know, that is so obvious, yet most boys can't even see."

"Which is…"

"An ancient secret that—"

"Just get on with it, Star!" Marco shrieked.

"Okay, Marco, here it is, "Star said as she inched closer to Marco's ear, "Just go up and talk to her."

The only sound that could be heard between them were the ocean tides.

Star made a timid grin, opening her lips up to reveal her clenched teeth. She opened her mouth to try and say something, but Marco held his hand up to interrupt her.

"See Star, here's the problem…" Marco cleared his throat before moving on. "You can't just go up to her and just talk. A girl like her, you only have one chance to say the right things before she just moves on and ignores you. You gotta know what to talk about, what not to say, how to say it proper—"

"Marco, don't overcomplicate it," Star interrupted, "she's a down-to-earth kinda girl, just talk to her like you talk to me."

"There's a difference, Star," Marco said, turning his body over to prevent himself from knocking on an obese swimmer on the shoulder, "You're Star Butterfly, my house guest and best friend. This is Jackie Lynn Thomas we're talking about, the coolest, most beautiful girl in Echo Creek Academy. There's a different procedure for every girl."

"A procedure, eh…" she said, gnawing on her wand again.

Star picked up a clam shell that the tide washed over above her foot. Her wand materialized a piece of lanyard string. She attached it the shell and looped the string around her neck. Marco witnessed Star pointing the wand on herself and a beam of pinkish light blasted on her face. He recognized the short blond hair with the teal streak. She took off her red hairband and tussled her shortened hair.

"Whoa," Marco said as he stared at her transformed friend. He could feel his own jaw dropping to the ground. Marco held the back of his head with his hand as the feeling of awkwardness began to descend upon him.

"Oh, don't worry about my hair, it'll grow back," Star said. "My dad said I get my hair from my mom's side. So anyways, I'm Jackie Lynn Thomas, how's it going Marco?"

Marco didn't say anything. He couldn't think of anything to say. All he could do at the current moment was walk across the beach with dumbfounded expression.

"Come on, Marco, this is the first time I've had to cut my hair since I've left Mewni," she said, stroking her shortened hair. "Pretend I'm Jackie, what would you say?"

Marco took a moment to choose his words. Looking at Star's new haircut made it incredibly difficult to formulate a sentence.

With his choice words at the ready, he responded, "Hi, I'm Marco and I've seen you a lot at school and stuff, and uh… If you're free or whatever, wanna hang out, go to the movies, skateboard or whatever."

Star chuckled and scuffled Marco's hair. "See, Marco that was perfect. Got anything else to say?"

Marco closed his eyes in relief, and said, "And you know those girls that tell you that you're fat and your butt is too big. Well don't listen to them, your booty is perfect and should be the national standard for booties all across America—"

"Well Marco, I'm flattered but sucking up to me isn't going to make your grades go up any higher," a familiar voice called up.

Marco's eyes cracked open as she saw Miss Skullnick in a two piece bikini that accentuated the worst parts of her trollish figure. Her massive stomach, normally covered by a purple tank top, was in full view, spilling over her legs. "I love what you did with your hair, Star."

"Awh thanks, Skullzy." Star continued walking down, before stopping and turning around to see a motionless Marco, right eye twitching.

"Well, at least that sounded like a compliment Marco, "Star reassured him. "We can work on those if you want, later."

Marco bent down and dug a hole on the sandy ground. He stuck his head in and piled the sand on top of his head. Star lent a hand to Marco.

"Please don't try to bring me back up."

* * *

"Marco, your hair isn't going to scrub itself," Star said as she used her wand to shampoo Marco's hair underneath the beach shower. "I've been washing it hair for 5 minutes and there's still a lot of sand."

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew…" were the only comprehensible words coming out of Marco's mouth. The running water poured onto the back of Marco's head as he laid there, face planted on the ground. It splashed onto his hoodie and skinny jeans, Marco unbothered by the water drenching his clothes.

"I've seen grosser things in Mewni," Star said, "like this one time, a plague went around Mewni and gave everyone really bad bed sores and cysts filled with this yellow goopy stuff. Surprisingly, nobody died. But one of the guards caught it, and he accidently popped the cyst in front of my mom. You would not believe how much my mom can puke, Marco."

Marco remained silent.

She drew a deep breath and sighed before going on. "Tell me, Marco, what is this girl interested in?"

"Um, she likes to skateboard," Marco said, "and she's really pretty."

"And…"

"I don't know, that's it."

"Really, Marco?" A red twinge of light flared from her wand. "You've known Jackie since kindergarten, and you don't know anything about her? You've learned more about me in two weeks, than you have of Jackie your entire life!"

"You know, for a popular girl, she likes to keep to herself a lot. I've never seen her do anything besides skateboarding."

Star stopped scrubbing Marco's head and chewed on her wand again, she said, "Hey Marco, how good are you at skateboarding?"

"Uh, not very."

Star shrugged, she said, "Good enough for me, let's go skateboarding." Star grasped Marco's wrist, dragging him on the sandy ground.

"Wait," Marco said, dusting himself off. "I can't skateboard, I'll just end up humiliating myself there."

A massive wave from the oceanfront established itself and began sweeping towards the duo. Marco pointed Star to her glowing wand. The aura dissipated and the wave tumbled back down to the ocean.

"I'm sorry, "Star said, "but come on Marco, how many excuses can you keep making? You've known this girl since kindergarten, and she's finally started to talk to you. This is the best chance to get the girl of your dreams, Marco."

She pulled him in and stared right into the depths of his eyes. "You know what happens when you keep wasting your time making excuses? Another guy, who probably plays football, will come in and sweep her off her feet, and you have to wait who knows long before he messes up and she becomes single again."

Marco stood there in silence, reeling her words in.

"So, Marco Diaz, we don't have much time left. So do you want to waste it making excuses or do you want to get the girl?"

"Well, I guess getting the girl probably sounds like the better option," Marco said. "Okay then, let's go find Jackie."

Star hopped high in the air with a massive grin and dashed through the beach.

"Wait, Star," Marco said, the princess skidding to a stop, "can we go home first? My clothes are all wet, I'd rather look decent in front of Jackie, instead of some homeless guy."


	6. Now, Say It With Confidence Part 2

**Episode 3: Now, Say It With Confidence Part 2**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Disclaimer: Disney and Daron Nefcy own this show proper, not me. I just like writing about it.**

 **(Edit 8/6/2015: Split Episodes in 2 parts for less reading load for one chapter. I know this will screw up the current reviews for each episode, but I feel like this is necessary. To any followers, I'm sorry for the spam of story updates this splitting will cause.)**

* * *

"Star, another problem I forgot to mention was that I didn't have a skateboard," Marco said as he zipped up a dry hoodie.

"Yeah, I knew that." Star placed the headband on her head, forming bangs that covered her forehead. She brushed the back of her shoulder-length hair, before the brush disappeared into thin air. "Marco, how does my hair look?"

"Oh, it's good short, like your normal hair, but it doesn't go down to the floor," replied Marco, "but as I was saying, we didn't have any skateboards. That said, where did you find these?" Marco held out the skateboards he carried on each hand.

"Those, um…" Star hesitated for a moment. "I kinda borrowed those from Janna."

Marco placed on of the boards to the ground and with his free hand, slammed his palm on his forehead. He picked up the skateboard and asked, "Okay, does Janna know you're borrowing her skateboards?"

"No…" Marco glared at the princess. "What, it looked fun when Jackie showed me skateboarding the first time. As a matter of fact, toss me one."

Star yanked one of the boards from Marco's hand. She dropped it in front of her and hopped on, racing beyond Marco.

As Star glided down the sidewalk, Marco jogged to catch up with her. She halted in front of the park. Marco caught up to her, bending over to his knees and panting for breath.

Marco stood back, upright, he said, "Here we are Star, Echo Creek Skate Park."

Star's eyes gazed upon the park that consisted of course of tall ramps and rusty rails. A skater slid down a ramp. When the board touched the ground, he flipped his board upwards. As he landed on his skateboard, the board slid underneath from his foot. He crashed on the ground, head making impact on the concrete.

Marco winced at the poor man's fall. Star pulled his attention to the other side, where Jackie Lynn Thomas grinded on one of the rails.

The skater girl hopped off the end of the rail. She kicked the board up and flipped it as she traversed through the air. She landed on the board with a confident smirk. Marco's eyes caught onto Jackie.

Jackie drifted towards Marco and Star. As she approached them, she kicked her board horizontally, bringing her to a sliding stop. Marco's mouth slacked with a flushed visage, while Star's eyes appeared to be coated with a glossy covering.

"Hey guys." Jackie took one foot off the board and teetered the board upwards with the other foot, picking it up in the air. "Don't see you guys here often. Love the haircut, Star."

Star tussled her hair around. Marco stood there in near silence, as his opened mouth struggled to form intelligible sentences.

"That, was, amazing Jackie," Star said, inching closer to the skater girl, "you've got to show me how to do those things."

"Well, last I saw, you were learning things quickly, so I bet you can pull off a few rail tricks by the end of the week." Jackie turned her attention to boy with the red hoodie. "And, I didn't know Marco was a skater."

Marco tried to stammer out a response, but all that came out was a few unintelligible syllables sputtered out with weak conviction. Star pulled him towards herself, just as a skater flew past where Marco was standing.

"Oh, Marco," Star said, "he just got into skating after I spent the entirety of last week blabbering on about how skateboarding is the greatest Earth sport ever. Isn't that right, Marco?"

"Uh, yeah, what she said."

Jackie looked to the clock on the side, she said, "Well, I have an hour to kill before Janna is done making out with all the dudes in the park…"

Jackie pointed to the side, where Star and Marco observed a jacket-less Janna making out with a man with two piercings on his ear. When she pulled away from the kiss, Janna waved at the three. The man pulled her back and kissed her, as she closed her eyes once more. "I could show you guys a few beginner tricks. What do you say?"

"Yeah, Marco and I are down, let's do this," Star replied.

"Sounds great." Jackie placed her board back down, and turned her body around. "Just let me get a few stretches in." She bent down forwards, flaunting herself in front of Star and Marco. Both couldn't help but stare.

Star turned around and noticed a reddish fluid dripping down from Marco's nose. "Marco, your nose is bleeding."

Marco peered down at his nose, feeling underneath it. He covered his nose with both hands, and rushed to find any paper towels.

* * *

The moment Marco set foot on his board, it slipped and he landed on his back. Star picked him back up and set him up on the board once more.

Jackie demonstrated the proper motions of skateboarding. She positioned herself on the board and stroked the ground with her left foot, moving herself forward.

Marco attempted to replicate Jackie's movements. Right foot on the board and stroking the ground with the left foot, he strolled down the park without a problem.

He tried to stop by planting his back foot to the ground. The board slipped away from Marco. Just as he was about to make impact with the ground, Jackie slid underneath and caught him by the arms. Marco blushed in Jackie's presence.

After spending some time learning how ride and stop, Jackie helped Star and Marco up the quarter pipe.

"You sure you guys wanna do this?" Jackie asked. "It's only Marco's first day on the board, and it took me three months practice before I even touched a quarter pipe."

Star inhaled a deep breath of air, just as she was readying herself to say something, before Marco interrupted.

"The quarter pipe is nothing," Marco said with confidence, "there's a reason why people have said 'Danger' is my middle name."

"Really," Jackie replied, "I thought they called you the 'Safe Kid'."

Marco couldn't think of a suitable response.

"Anyways, watch what I do." Jackie slid down the pipe. As she gained momentum, she kick-flipped up onto a rail. The edge grinded the rail to the end. She got off the rail and turned her board forward, landing on the ground. She skidded to a stop. Star gave a round of applause.

Marco slid down, as Star reached out in an attempt to stop him. He seek to perform the same kick-flip onto the rail, hopping off the board, unaware of how to perform one. The board rolled onwards, as Marco caught his foot on the railing. He slammed to the ground, face first.

* * *

Marco groaned in pain, as he heard his name echoed out. His field of view blurred when he opened his eyes. When everything cleared up, he recognized a hand that outreached towards him, as well as a familiar figure looking at him with concern. He reached out for the hand and pulled himself back up.

"Alright people, he's fine, nothing to see here," Star said as she helped her friend up. Everyone in the vicinity scattered, going back to skating or loitering around the vending machines.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone survive a face-plant without breaking anything important." Jackie shuffled through her gym bag and found a dry towel. She chucked it towards Marco, where Star caught it and handed it over to the injured boy. "I'll get some soda, be back in a sec."

Jackie walked off to the vending machine with a handful of coins. Marco sat on the bench, placing a hand on his forehead, looking down to the ground.

"I knew skateboarding was a bad idea," Marco mumbled out. Star put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't look up.

"Don't take it so hard, Marco. No one's ever good the first time"

"Yeah, I know, but that's not the point," he said, snapping his spine back into place. "To trip over in front of Jackie Lynn Thomas, now I'm gonna be a laughing stock around here."

"What, Marco, no you aren't. If anything, they mostly feel sorry for you."

"Pity is even worse, Star," he said. "At least if she's making fun of me, she doesn't have to pretend to care for the sake of my feelings." Marco rubbed on his forehead, regretting all his decisions.

"I just want to show Jackie I'm not some helpless guy who has to get the help of a princess every time there's a problem. I want to show her I can be just as cool as her. I want her to know me more than just the 'Safe Kid'."

Star sighed and took a seat next to Marco. Marco hunched over further, before Star prodded him back up.

"Hey Marco, if you want to be a hero so bad, now's your chance."

Star pointed to the vending machine where a tall, lanky skater with a purple Mohawk stood in front of Jackie, hand on the machine. Behind the man with a Mohawk, was a pudgy Latino teen cracking his knuckles. The man with the purple Mohawk grabbed onto Jackie's necklace, as Jackie tried to swat his hands off it. Marco rushed to Jackie's position.

"Get your hands off her, you creeps," Marco howled.

The Latino turned to see Marco up in the air, as Marco struck a hammer-fist straight onto his head. He tumbled down as Marco followed up with an uppercut to the jaw. Marco hopped into the air with a side kick to the abdomen. He landed on the ground, clutching his stomach.

The man with a purple Mohawk couldn't take a single step before Marco swept him to the ground. As he was falling, Marco snapped his foot on his face. His head collided with the machine and dented the exterior. There was a purplish bruise that covered the impact from Marco' foot.

"Don't touch a single hair on her, you freaks."

"Marco, they were—"

"Wait, everyone, there's a couple guys getting touchy with Jackie," one of the skaters said.

"Yeah, that's messed up, yo."

"Let's get 'em!"

A mob of skaters rushed to the vending machines. They grouped up around Mohawk man and the Latino. Marco and Jackie backed away from the oncoming brutality. Star caught up to the two, as they heard the sounds of wailing, painful screaming.

"Marco, they weren't harassing me," Jackie said, "that was Zeke and Pablo, a couple guys from a skate day-camp I did back in 8th grade."

"Oh," Marco and Star replied in unison. He pulled out his phone, turning his head away from the violence.

"I'm going to call an ambulance," Marco said, dialing emergency services.

* * *

Star and Marco followed Jackie after she took off from the park.

Marco attempted to yell out apologies, although every single one fell on deaf ears. They ended up standing around the boardwalk that extended over the beach ocean. Jackie checked her phone, then put it back in her pocket.

"Janna's at ER with them, she says they're fine. Bruised and battered, but stable condition."

Star nudged Marco with her elbow.

"Well, there we go Marco, they're okay, Jackie said so," Star replied.

Marco walked up to Jackie putting a shoulder on her hand.

"Hey, Jackie, I'm sorry about earlier, "Marco said, "if I had known…If I'd known they were your friends, they wouldn't be in the ER."

"Whatever man, it's fine." Jackie turned away "Mistakes happen, don't beat yourself up over it. It's annoying. See you in class tomorrow, I guess."

Jackie walked towards the sidewalk. Marco trudged to the other side, laying his head on the wooden railing. Star placed a sympathetic hand on Marco.

"See, even she forgives you for it, you still have a chance."

"Star, that's what she says about everything," Marco replied, "she acts all chill and cool with everything, but deep down, I know she hates me and resents me and everything."

Star hung her head low, tears formed on the edge of her eyes. "Marco, I'm sorry—"

"Its fine Star," Marco said as he placed his hand on Star's shoulder, turning towards Star with a forced smile, "you really did try your best to help me, and I can't stay mad at you for that. I just want a second chance to redo everything, to show Jackie I can be a hero…"

Marco trailed off and stared at the ocean front. The sun hung low, right on top of the ocean. Star sighed and looked to the other side. Star nudged on Marco again.

"Hey Marco, you want a second chance, right? Turn around, I think you just got one."

Marco whirled his head to the other side to see an onslaught of Ludo's minions imposing themselves face-to-face with Jackie. Jackie shuffled back as Bearicorn, the bear-unicorn hybrid henchman, closed the distance, settling himself a breath away from the skater girl.

"You were the one that bit me last time, "Bearicorn said, "that really hurt you know. Now I wonder what human girl tastes like." Bearicorn opened his mouth, extending it as wide as he can.

"Heads up Jackie," Marco called out.

A rock hurled into Bearicorn's mouth. He grasped his throat, as the rock suffocated the bear-unicorn hybrid. Ludo stepped up to the front and prodded him with his staff, regurgitating the rock out.

Marco and Star landed in front of Jackie, readying themselves for a fight.

"Well, if it isn't Star Butterfly," Ludo said, "I've got you cornered now princess. You're stuck between the minions and the ocean. There's nowhere to escape now—"

"Cherry Bomb."

A hefty red cherry rolled down the boardwalk, towards Ludo and his men. Ludo knocked on the bomb twice. Ludo passed it to Buff Frog. A massive explosion dispersed, knocking everyone across the boardwalk.

Ludo lifted his head up, "Surround them!"

Spikeballs and Bearicorn positioned themselves in front of Jackie. Marco vaulted to her position. Marco slid across and extended his foot out. He smacked Bearicorn in the knees. Bearicorn flopped to ground, clutching his knees.

Spikeballs swung his spike-laden first on top of Marco. He ducked under the swing as Spikeballs readied his other first. Finding the opening, Marco tackled him over the railing. The wooden railing shattered and Spikeballs fell into the ocean.

"Impressive, Marco"

"Yeah, I am good at this." Dearbeard popped from behind. He clutched onto Marco, grabbing his whole body. Marco wiggled as he struggled against Dearbeard's arms.

Jackie felt around for a rock. She picked it up and pulled a scrunchie out of her pocket. Using the scrunchie as a slingshot, she fired the rock straight into the monster's eye. He dropped Marco to the ground as he attempted to pull the rock out his eye. Marco slid underneath his open legs as he motioned Jackie to fall back.

"Cupcake Blast!"

A barrage of cupcakes smashed Dearbeard's face. He tumbled over the broken section of bridge, falling to the ocean.

Marco skidded back to Star's position, arms positioned defensively.

"Star, quick, think of an impressive combo we can pull off the top your head."

"Okay Marco, get ready to kick" Marco shifted his legs.

"Ethereal Lasso!"

A rope of eternal light spanned forwards towards a charging Buff Frog. It seized the Buff Frog and Star pulled him closer to them.

"Now!"

Marco hopped into the air and struck the oncoming frog with a side kick. The frog flew back, knocking over several other henchman.

Ludo sighed as he lowered his skull-shaped crown in front of his face.

"Okay, that was easier than usual," Marco said

"Did any of them managed to pass-by us?" Star asked.

"No, I don't think—"

"Help!" called out a voice in the back.

Marco spiraled his view to the other side, only to find Jackie barely clutching onto the pegs of the railing. Two of Ludo's henchman, a gigantic lobster monster and a bull creature named Emmitt were obstructing her way back up.

"I got Jackie, deal with the rest of them."

Star raised her wand towards the newly charging mass of creatures approaching her.

Marco rushed to the edge of the boardwalk leading to the ocean. He readied himself as Emmitt rushed headfirst towards Marco. He rotated clockwise all the way through and drove the force from his foot to his face. Emmitt sputtered to the side, shattering the railing on the side.

When Marco reached Jackie, Lobster Claws pinched his meaty claws on Marco, trying to grasp onto him. Marco shoved him off to the side. The giant lobster fell on his back. The boy in the red sweater pulled Jackie up from the edge of the boardwalk. Jackie brushed herself off when she was standing again

"Thanks Marco—"

Marco turned around to see Emmitt again, charging towards them. He hopped from the ground and tumbled the bull monster on his back with both feet. As he pushed off Emmitt, he knocked over Jackie. She fell on her backside, releasing the necklace she was holding on her hand.

"My necklace!" It descended into the ocean, making a slight splash when it hit the water.

Marco turned around to see a Jackie tearing up. She covered her face with her hands when she spotted Marco looking at her. He looked down to the quivering ocean, the boardwalk he was standing on towering above the receding tides. He looked back to Jackie, now sobbing silently, something he'd never seen before.

Marco hopped over the railing and took a deep breath. Jackie turned her head to Marco.

"No, Marco, you don't need to do this," she stammered out, "you don't—"

Jackie's words were lost when Marco dove into the ocean sea. He made a loud splash as he struck headfirst into the water.

* * *

The impact from the dive gave Marco a blinding headache. Marco wanted to swim back to the top to catch a breath. When he looked down and saw the necklace descending to the depths, Marco chased after it instead.

The necklace caught itself onto a reef on the craggy wall of rocks on the side, underneath the boardwalk. Marco swam to the wall. As soon as he was an arm's length away, he clutched onto the necklace. He pushed himself off the wall and stroked up to the surface.

Something latched onto him from behind. He turned around to see Dearbeard clasping his arms around him. With both arms he struggled to push Dearbeard off him. Bubbles rose to the surface as Marco expanded his mouth to scream. A spiky fist flew towards Marco. He ducked and released himself from Dearbeard's arms. As he swam up, he saw Spikeball's fist embedded onto the dear creature's skin.

A tentacle grasped onto the two stuck together. It pulled them deeper into the ocean, as both screamed, or rather, gurgled. In the pitch-black depth of the ocean, six pale orange lights emerged, three on each side, stacked in a column.

Marco drifted along the sea, paralyzed, as the two disappeared into the dark void.

From Marco's blurred vision, he could've sworn he'd seen a toothy grin underneath the lights.

 _Your welcome, Diaz._

A propulsion underneath his feet forced Marco up to the surface. Marco screamed up to the top.

When he poked his head up to the surface, he saw Star still locked in combat with Ludo and his men.

"Intensified Gaze of Despair."

The wand made a mundane flash of light.

Marco called out to the girls on the boardwalk. Star turned around and casted a rope for Marco.

* * *

Star lassoed Marco back to the boardwalk. Marco spat out a lot of seawater and seaweed. He checked his left hand, relieved to see he's still holding onto the necklace.

"Thanks Star," Marco said.

"Anytime."

Marco looked across the bridge to see the rest of Ludo's group, including Ludo himself, either crying or laying in the fetal position.

"I knew I should have taken that office job in the swamplands," Buff Frog cried. "Why did I ever think I would make a good scout?"

"I can't keep lying to myself, I did peak at middle school. My life's been a downward spiral ever since." The Red, two-headed monster, rocked itself back-and-forwards between sobs.

"Sometimes, I wonder if everything's my fault," Ludo said, wiping away the tears. "I'm supposed to be the greatest villain the universe has ever seen, but I can't even defeat a fourteen year-old girl."

Ludo pulled out his dimensional scissors and tore a hole into the air, creating a portal back to his kingdom.

The army of creatures trudged back through the portal in tears and shambles.

"What was that?" Marco asked.

"I'm not quite sure, Marco." Star stared at her wand. "But we got rid of them, and you got to show off your moves, so all's well, I guess. Thanks for the help, Jackie."

"Don't mention it." Jackie sauntered off the boardwalk. Marco jogged up to her, holding the necklace.

"Jackie, wait," Marco said, "you almost forgot this."

He reached out his hand to the girl, opening up to reveal the shell necklace. Jackie snatched the necklace from Marco's palm. She slammed both hands onto her mouth, as Marco noticed the tears dripping from her eyes.

"Marco… you didn't have to do this for me."

"Oh, it's not that big of a deal," he replied, "it got caught near the rocks, it was an easy—"

Jackie wrapped her hands around Marco, snuggling her head next to Marco's hoodie. His arms stretched out, dumbfounded by the chain of events. She lifted her head up to Marco's and snuck in a peck to his nose.

"Thank you, Marco." Once again, the blood rushed to Marco's cheeks. Star noticed the heavy blushing. Marco noticed the thumbs up from the princess.

Jackie released herself Marco and stepped back. "I know I haven't really talked to you guys, like ever, but you guys seem alright. Both of you, pass me your phones."

Marco and Star handed their cellphones to Jackie. She fiddled around with them, giving it back to them as quickly as they gave it to her.

"Alright, so my number should be there and everything," Jackie said, "and I'll talk to you guys later. I have something coming up and I could always use a couple new friends."

Jackie hopped onto her skate board and rode off, she said, "Peace."

Star clamored to Marco and said, "Marco, this is fantast—"

"Hang on, Star…" Marco speed dialed the number Jackie put on the phone. Someone picked it up. Marco heard a slight chuckle on the other end.

"Yup, it's real," Jackie said on the phone before hanging up. Marco's arm holding the phone loosened up.

"Marco?"

"Star, this is fantastic!"

"I know, right!" Both of them jumped up and down, rocking the creaky wooden planks on the boardwalk.

"I've got Jackie Lynn Thomas's number. And it's all thanks to you."

Marco clinched his arms around Star in a blink of an eye.

"Your welcome, Marco," she said with a couple of huffed coughs.

"Oh, my bad." Marco released her grip around the girl, giving Star a moment to breathe. "But honestly, Star, you've really done me a solid today. I'm grateful to have a friend like you."

Star's eyes watered up. She wiped her eyes before she said, "Oh Marco, that was nothing. I am one of Mewni's certified matchmakers after all."

"Really?" Marco inquired. They walked off the boardwalk side-by-side. "Do you think you can get Ferguson a date?"

"Marco, I'm a matchmaker, "she said with a chuckle, "not Cupid."

"Come on, think of it as your Magnum Opus. Your greatest work that the world will come and respect. Something that must be seen to be believed."

"Well, Marco, we have to deal with you first."

"Huh?"

"I'm not done yet, Marco. I'll only be finished once you two have a stable relationship and lots of kids."

Marco sighed, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

* * *

 **Okay, so, there was a lot on my mind when I was writing this Episode. When Blood Moon Ball came out, I actually panicked, because it seemed to be moving towards Star and Marco having a romantic relationship. And that's perfectly fine, they have wonderful chemistry, something I attempt to emulate in my story. But with this season, I strive to fit this fic with the canon as best as possible, and when I felt that my fic was straying away from said canon, it made me worried. I had plans for Marco having a relationship with someone else first before Star, because that's what made sense to me.**

 **A fellow writer told me to write the story I want to write, so now I'm resolved to finish to season in my vision. I'll account for new tidbits from the show into the fic as best as possible. That's something I want to do out of respect for the show.**

 **The next episode will be a Jackie-Centric one. I'm going to have fun with that.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	7. Jackie Lynn Thomas Part 1

**Hey everyone, Im back with another episode**

 **First off, I want to apologize if I was late with this. I want to release these episodes in 7-day cycles, but I was late with this. Mostly for university tuition issues I had to deal with. And also, I have decided to cut each episode in parts to make it easier to read. I've done that for past episodes as well. This will probably lead to some email spam to my story followers and for that, I apologize as well.**

 **Episode 4: Jackie Lynn Thomas Part 1**

 **Description: Confident, chill, smooth... words Marco would use to describe Jackie Lynn Thomas. But what does a day in the life of Jackie Lynn Thomas look like?**

 **Thanks to the following for Beta Reading:**

 **ACW28  
Omega Ultra  
Silver tears85  
WaterDragonMaverick**

 **And, yeah, Enjoy!**

 **Credit to Kprovido from deviantart for the cover**

 **Disclaimer: Apparently disclaimers aren't entirely necessary, but Daron Nefcy owns the show. Not my soul though, that belongs to Alex Hirsch of Gravity Falls**

* * *

The first sound Jackie Lynn Thomas heard that morning was the soothing, melodic harmonies of a blaring alarm clock.

Burying her head underneath the pillow didn't make the beeping stop.

Neither did covering her ears.

She clenched her fist and slammed it on the clock. In her drowsy, blurred vision, she could make out the numbers 7 and 30. She threw the clock back to the bed stand. Her body crumbled down to the pleasure of a comfortable pillow and the warmth of a thick blanket.

Her ears perked up to the sound of a squeaking bed in the other room.

Jackie scrambled to throw the covers off. She leapt off the bed, rushing to the empty bathroom. Her foot slammed the door behind her

She peered to the side, glancing at the speeding minute hand of the clock.

 _Welp, I guess I'll just take a shower after gym or something_ , she thought, _in the meantime, this'll have to do._

She twisted the faucet handle, letting the water sit just a hair above the sink. Next, she dove headfirst into the pool of water. She pulled herself from the sink, a splash of water streaked onto the mirror. Finally, she snatched a towel from the nearby hook to dry her hair off.

From the pile of assorted make-up products, Jackie picked up a red, glassy vial with a clear, but fragrant aroma. She squeezed the bottle, spreading the liquid all over her body. After sniffing herself, she decided she smelt adequate enough to pass by school unnoticed for the morning.

She slid down the railing of the stairs and jogged into the kitchen. Jackie opens up the pantry above the toaster, feeling around for a loaf of bread. Her hands squeezed the bag from the pantry. She shoved a slice into the open crevice of the toaster, pushing it down to let it cook.

Jackie tilted her head down. A plain white T-shirt and pink lace panties barely concealed her voluptuous figure. She scrambled back to her room to her room to find something presentable to wear. Her leg caught onto something and she tumbled down to the floor.

She turned around to see a 12-Gauge shotgun lying underneath her foot. Jackie picked it up and inspected it. When she shook the gun side-to-side, it discharged two shells from the loading flap. Her eye caught on to the safety on top of the trigger guard. One slight misstep and her parents would have woken up to gunfire and a girl screaming in pain. Jackie looked back at the weapon and shuttered.

Jackie set the safety back on and placed the gun back on to the shelf. She turned around and jogged up the stairs back to her room.

Once she made it back to her room, Jackie dove headfirst into a lofty pile of clothes of varying degrees of cleanliness. Some were fresh off the dryer, while most of it was covered in dirt and other unspeakable fluids.

After several minutes of searching, Jackie settled with a pink crop top and denim high-waist shorts. She turned her backside to a mirror to examine herself.

 _Am I showing off too much,_ Jackie pondered as she took a closer look at her own butt. She shrugged. _I'll just ask Janna or Hope when I get to school._

Then Jackie dropped to the floor and reached under her bed, and after a few seconds of searching she pulled out a black knapsack. It empty, save for the various, crumpled up sheets of paper. After a quick search of her room Jackie crammed a random assortment of items into her bag.

The clock approached 8 am. Jackie slung her backpack off her shoulder and slid back downstairs.

She rushed to the toaster. A scorched slice of bread popped into the air and flew straight on top of Jackie's free hand. She quickly took a bite into the brownish-black piece of toast as she walked to the door. Her skateboard was perched right next to the doorframe. And as she opened the front door, she kicked her skateboard down.

"Jackie, stay for breakfast dear," her mom called out from upstairs, "your father is concerned—"

Jackie walked out and slammed the door behind her.

 _Once again mom, he is not my dad._

She rode her skateboard down the driveway. When she reached the end, she curved to the sidewalk. Jackie pulled out a pair of earphones and attached them to her ears. With the press of a button, Jackie drowned herself in chill rap beats of Mas's classic album, _Illuminatic_.

* * *

Jackie skated past Marco, greeting the boy with a simple hello. A few other students exchanged pleasantries along the way. The PA system buzzed out harsh static that blared over her music. She picked up on a dry cough emitted from the speaker.

"Attention Students of Echo Creek," Principal Greeves announced. "All welding classes for this week are cancelled due to the theft of all welding tools last night—"

Her heart shrunk as she heaved out a heavy sigh. _Goodbye easy A's._

Janna and Hope loitered around their lockers. They noticed Jackie pulling up by them. Jackie stopped her board right next to the two girls, the ground squealing as she drifted to a stop.

"Hey Jackie," they said in unison. Hope waved at the skater girl, while Janna's attention focused on her phone.

Jackie greeted both back. She propped her skateboard up and picked it up with one arm.

Janna sniffed the air around. She covered her mouth and hacked her lungs out.

"I see you're following my technique of drenching yourself in cheap perfume in place of a shower." Jackie looked to Janna's side, while her free hand fiddled with the lock.

"Hey, I woke up late, okay," she said, "I didn't have time for a shower." The locker door opened with little resistance. "Sue me."

Hope shuffled around her purse. She found an elegant, clear bottle with clear liquid inside. She fumbled with the cover before squirting it a couple times in Jackie's general direction.

"Better?"

Jackie inhaled her surroundings. "Much better."

The buxom skater girl deposited her skateboard in her locker. She opened her bag and dove her hand inside.

"We got gym first, right?" Jackie asked.

"Yup," Janna responded, "got the physical today as well."

"That's fine." Jackie swashed through the inside of the bag. She scoured through the cluttered mess for a certain necklace. She moved her hand underneath the textbook, pulling on the thread of string. "Hey Janna, you didn't bring any clothes, did you?"

"I didn't even bring a backpack," Janna replied with a smile.

"Here"—Jackie tossed her bag to Janna—"your clothes should be in there." Necklace in hand, Jackie wrapped the string around her neck, and let the shell drape over her chest.

A raucous laugh echoed through the hallways of Echo Creek Academy. Echo Creek's resident spoiled princess, Brittney Wong, swaggered down the hallway. Her clique of cheerleaders waddled behind her, as a girl with a ponytail paced beside her.

"Sabrina, you're the only one here that hasn't gotten past second base with a guy. Have you even kissed a guy before?"

"I totally have!" Sabrina threw out her arms. "Flocks of boys always ask me out every day. I've just been busy with other stuff, you know."

The group of cheerleaders burst into a fit of laughter. Sabrina shirked back, staring down to the floor.

"Oh yeah," Britney mouthed out between spouts of laughter. "That's why I designated you as the funny one."

Jackie, Janna and Hope watched as the cheerleaders pass by them. The symphonies of giggles still echoed in the hallways after they had already left. Sabrina turned her head back, staring back to the three of them. Hope looked onwards with a grim twist to her mouth.

"Poor girl," Hope said, "this wasn't what she wanted at all."

"Who cares?" Janna asked. "That's what she gets for choosing cheerleading over her friends. Personally, I can't believe we were friends with her in the first place."

"Come on Janna, don't be like that." Jackie grabbed a nail filer from Hope's bag "Janna, did you find your clothes yet?"

"Give me a minute, Jackie." Janna scourged through the pile of clutter and mess inside Jackie's bag. "It would be much easier if you would ever take the time to organize— um, Jackie, I might be a little skanky at times, but come on, I'm not downright thirsty."

Jackie lifted her head up, she said, "Janna, what are you talking—"

When she turned her head over to Janna, she emitted an inhuman shriek. Her eyes bulged out to the point where they refused to blink.

"I'll take these though," Janna said, pulling out a white tank top and green shorts. She placed the offending article of clothing back into the bag, tossing it back to Jackie.

Jackie inspected the clothing she'd brought. Inside the bag, laid a pair of black yoga shorts and a skimpy sports bra.

"Ugh, I must have grabbed my mom's clothes by mistake." Jackie yanked her locker open, taking out the skateboard. "Tell Ms. Newman, that I'm gonna be late for class. I have to rush back home to find something decent."

"Wait, isn't your mom and stepdad at home right now?" Hope asked.

Jackie froze in place, before turning to her locker.

"Right, in that case"—Jackie opened her locker again and hurled her skateboard in, before slamming the door shut—"I think I can live with Britney calling me a skank all class then."

* * *

No matter how many times Jackie pulled down her shorts, the Lycra fabric managed to ride up her butt with every step she took. It made her backside plump and well-rounded at the cost of comfort.

 _So this is what a wedgie feels like._

Her skimpy outfit attracted the stares of other girls in the gym, along with a few males hanging around the female section of the gym. She wrapped her arms beneath her chest. When she noticed it accentuated her cleavage, she released her arms from her body.

Janna took 3-pointers on one of the open nets in the gym. When Jackie walked up to her, Janna turned around to see her friend in something so revealing.

"Whoa," Janna said, unable to muster any better response.

Jackie turned around, allowing her friend to gain a better view of her booty. She rotated her head to take a look herself.

"Does this make my butt look big?" Jackie asked.

"I still don't know why that's a bad thing, Jackie—"

"Well personally, I think it does," a voice called out. Jackie and Janna turned their heads over to the Asian cheerleader approaching them. "It's nice, but who are you trying to impress, Jackie?"

Janna leered at Brittney. "Personally, I find it very nice, if you asked me."

"No one asked you, Janna," Brittney replied, "please don't interrupt when I'm in the middle of a conversation. It's extremely rude." Janna growled, as she walked up with a clenched fist. Jackie placed her hand on Janna's shoulder and walked up to Brittney.

Jackie drew in a deep breath and formed a playful, wry grin.

"I'm not trying to impress anyone, Brittney," Jackie said, "but I figured it doesn't hurt to show off a little, am I right?"

Brittney crossed her arms and sneered towards Jackie, she said, "Maybe you're showing off a little too much, don't you think. We have a dress code here at Echo Creek Academy."

"Well, in that case, that top you're wearing is barely covering anything," Jackie said, pointing to Britney's purple sports bra.

"Excuse me?" Brittney said, raising her voice. "This is a $500 piece from Lewis Buton. Where did you get your rags from, the bottom of the bargain bin at a no-name thrift shop?"

At this point, the entire girl's section turned their heads to the two bickering ladies near the net. Jackie eyed her surroundings, tilted her head to the side and squinted at the snobbish cheerleader in front of her.

"If I were you, I wouldn't be spending that much on a bra. Otherwise, how are you gonna have enough money to bribe the school for A's the rest of the year?"

The entire section clamoured into an onslaught of cheers.

"You tell her, Jackie!"

"Yeah, that bra looks way too tacky on you, Brittney."

Brittney growled before swiping in Jackie's direction. Jackie stared at the cheerleader, stepping back as the Britney scratched the air instead of Jackie. Chantelle popped up behind her, pulling the head cheerleader away from Jackie.

"Come on Brittney, it's not worth it," she said, "you're already on thin ice with Greeves. Just let it go, girl. Let it go."

Chantelle walked Brittney over to the other side of the gym. Janna patted Jackie in the shoulder.

"One of these days, you have to teach me how to keep your cool like that."

Jackie shrugged.

"Whatever," Jackie replied, "it was nothing, really."

"I would've scratched her eyes out." Janna dribbled the ball around. "Wanna shoot some hoops for a bit?"

Jackie extended her arms above her head, she said, "I'm going to stretch for a bit, give me a minute."

Janna turned back to the net, practicing her three-pointers.

Jackie stood up straight. She bent down to touch the top of her feet, feeling the pressure down in her calves. She turned around, to see Marco Diaz drop from the top of a rope, screaming all the way down. A blue aura materialized around Marco, as his descent slowed to a crawl.

Jackie shrugged her shoulders and resumed stretching.

* * *

The rest of the day remained uneventful for Jackie. She slept through Ms. Skullnick's lessons, had lunch and got various assignments handed back. Most of which she had failed.

Jackie dozed off in chemistry class, the last class of the day. Janna nudged her elbow on Jackie's arm. They ducked underneath their desks and crawled to the open door in the back of the class. Once they reached the outside, Jackie set her skateboard on the ground and rode it out school property. Janna struggled to keep up with the skater girl.

Jackie and Janna arrived at the beach before the school bell signifying the end of the day even rang.

The two girls strode along the beach side-by-side. Janna shifted through the assignments handed back to Jackie today.

"Wow, these grades are awful," Janna said. She skimmed through all the D's, the red X's and comments for improvement. "Did Justin really do everything?"

"What, no, he just helped me out a lot." Jackie reached into her pockets, feeling it tighten around her hand. "And, since I'd rather maintain my hearing for the rest of the day…"

Jackie pulled out a lighter from her pocket. She ignited it next to the edge of the pages, burning up the entire stack. Janna dropped the papers to the ground.

The two watched as the flames consumed the stack of failing papers.

"I think it would be best for my mom to not see this."

"Can't argue with that," Janna replied.

They arrived at a crowd of women and yoga mats. Up ahead of them, a middle-aged lady fiddled around with a megaphone before holding it in front of her mouth.

"Welcome ladies, to our weekly outdoor hot yoga sesh," she announced, "everybody gets some stretches in quickly, because we're about to start soon."

Jackie and Janna found a spot in the back with a clear view of the announcer in front. They rolled out their mats on the ground, flattening it out on the sand.

"I still don't know why you're so insistent on going to yoga," Janna said.

"Because Janna," Jackie said, putting her head on Janna's shoulder, "Yoga is an exercise that allows you to achieve peace in the mind, body and soul." She lifted her head off. "And besides, a little bit of peace would be nice nowadays."

Janna stared at her, rolling her head to the side, "Plus, it's free."

Janna shrugged.

"Alright, we have a fantastic turnout today," the woman with the megaphone said. "Now, everyone take a seat, cross your legs, and let's start by bringing your arms up and taking a deep breath…"

Jackie and Janna followed the instructor's commands. They interlaced their fingers once they reached the top.

"How much did Justin have to pay to boost your grades on top of his own?" Jackie glared at Janna. "Come on now, be honest…"

"For the record, he never had to pay a single cent for his grades—"

The megaphone unleashed harsh feedback. Everyone in the near vicinity pressed their hands on their ears instinctively.

"Perfect, now everybody on their backs." Jackie and Janna laid down on their backs, pressing themselves on the mat. "Now we're gonna lift each leg and touch with the opposite hand; so right foot on left hand and—"

"Anyways," Jackie said, continuing on where she left, "the man is smarter than he looks." Jackie reached out for her leg. "Definitely not street smart, but he's good at math."

Another woman in a pink tank top perused through the crowd of people. She stopped next to Janna, halting the girl's exercise and moved her legs and arms for her. Janna raised her eyebrows towards the woman as she walked off to the front.

"Well, once my mom eventually finds out that my grades have been dropping, there's gonna be another screaming match. I don't think I'll survive, Janna."

"Now you're gonna draw your knees into your chest, and wrap your arms around them."

Jackie pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms underneath her legs. Her thighs pressed against her breasts as she turned her head towards Janna.

"Does your stepdad care about your grades?" Janna asked.

"Eh, I think he cares more about Justin than my grades," Jackie replied, "honestly, he'll just use my grades as an excuse to try to get us back together or something." She sighed as she followed the rest of the crowd repositioning themselves in a plank position.

"He sounds like a great dad."

"Heh, dad." Jackie pulled her necklace closer to her and stared at it. The lips on her mouth slipped down as she felt her insides tying itself up. She felt a hand slap her in the backside.

"Don't look so sad, Jackie." Janna gave her a smile. "Those weren't even important assignments. You'll be okay."

Jackie let out a chuckle.

"Janna, what did we say about keeping hands to ourselves?"

"Sorry," Janna said with a wry smirk, "couldn't help myself."

Jackie turned her head towards her best friend.

"Never change, Janna."

* * *

"You know what Janna, I think things are gonna be alright for now."

"What makes you think that?" Janna asked, shoving a spoonful of frozen yogurt.

"This is the first time in a while I haven't had to worry about anything," Jackie replied. She swallowed the entire bowl of yogurt in one spoon. "I don't have to worry about relationship problems, and since I've already gotten my grades back, I don't have to keep worrying about them. After you know you screwed up, it's really easy to deal with."

"Well, I'm glad you're taking everything so positively." Janna tossed the empty bowl into a nearby trash can. "Mopey Jackie was the worst."

"Yeah, I hate mopey Jackie too." Jackie scrapped the sides of the bowl, wiping it clean off. "Let's get more frozen yogurt."

Janna raised an eyebrow.

"Jackie, are you doing that stress eating thing again?" Janna asked. "You've just ate your fifth bowl and I think they're lying when they say this is low fat. Nothing low fat tastes this sweet."

Jackie turned her to the side to see the frozen yogurt stand. She marched towards it, possessed by some insatiable hunger.

"Jackie…"

"What, no, I'm not stress eating, I'm just hungry." Jackie kept her head facing Janna. "This will be the last bowl, I swe—"

Jackie bumped into a wall of well-defined pecs and rigid abs. She lifted her head to find her ex-boyfriend with reddened cheeks.

"Oh, Justin," she blabbered out, hopping back a step from Justin. In her mind, Jackie ran through various scenarios and things to say to excuse herself without seeming impolite.

More than anything, she'd rather just sprint past him. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Me neither," Justin said, forcing out something that sounded like a laugh. "I didn't see you in Chem, I was wondering where you were."

"Oh, uh, Newman called me out of class 'cuz she needed help with a few things." Jackie swallowed the air, huffing it out as quickly as she inhaled it.

"I see," Justin said, crossing his arms. "Hey, I uh… just really wanted to say I'm sorry for making a scene last week over the breakup. I wasn't in a good place."

"It's cool, dude." Jackie tried to hide her fidgeting legs from her ex-boyfriend. "Let bygones be bygones, right?"

Justin took her words in, "Yeah, you're right." He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Jackie. "So I'm running this little study club for the football team. Most of them are flunking, like really hard, so… if you're interested, you're welcome to come in anytime. Janna can come too."

Janna looked up from her phone, where she had spent most of her attention on.

Something about seeing Justin repulsed Jackie. She couldn't care less of his study offer. He didn't even care enough to commit to a relationship. Jackie had the perfect choice of words to tell off her ex-boyfriend.

"Sounds great, Justin," Jackie replied, mortified by her own sudden response, "maybe I'll swing by from time to time." Jackie reeled back, horrified by what she just said.

"Perfect," Justin responded. He looked past Jackie. "I've got to go, a bunch of QB's from other schools are getting together for a volleyball game, and I don't want to miss out." He sauntered past Jackie. "Later, Jackie."

"Later." Jackie stood there, frozen.

"Oh, before I forget," Justin called out, "those hundreds of text messages weren't all from me, my phone glitched out and resent the messages many times. Just letting you know."

"Noted."

Jackie moaned as she collapsed onto the sand. She laid there, Janna walking up to her and bending down to check up on her friend.

"Janna, why is it so hard to talk to exes?" Jackie asked.

Janna shrugged and said, "I don't know, you seemed like you managed to hold yourself together there."

Jackie pulled herself up and sat cross-legged.

"I don't even want to go to his study thing. Why did I even agree?"

Janna sighed as she looked at her friend. "How many cups of frozen yogurt do you want?"

"Just two… maybe four actually…"

Janna rolled her eyes as she walked up to the stand, pulling out a crisp ten dollar bill.


	8. Jackie Lynn Thomas Part 2

**Episode 4: Jackie Lynn Thomas Part 2**

 **Credit to Kprovido from deviantart for the cover**

 **Disclaimer: Apparently disclaimers aren't entirely necessary, but Daron Nefcy owns the show. Not my soul though, that belongs to Alex Hirsch of Gravity Falls**

* * *

"You okay now, Jackie?" Janna asked.

"Yup, I think so." Jackie swerved her board to stop right next to the skate park entrance. She picked up her skateboard and entered the park. A plethora of skaters of different shapes and sizes littered the park. There were even a few scooter kids riding down the quarter pipe, much to her chagrin. Jackie breathed in the scent of fresh wooden ramps.

She immersed herself in her natural environment. For the next few hours or so, she didn't want to think about exes and screaming mothers. It would just be Jackie and her skateboard.

"Hey Janna, why didn't you bring your skateboard?"

"I think someone stole it," she replied, "but I'll watch over you and—"

Jackie noticed Janna's attention shifted to a teenager with a matching set of a black hoodie and black skinny jeans. His bangs hung over his left eye. He shifted the hair above his ear, displaying his piercings on it.

"Jackie, his piercings are really nice."

Jackie nodded.

"I really want to play with his hair."

Jackie crossed her arms.

"Jackie, he has ear piercings, please?"

Jackie looked at her with a straight face.

"Please?"

Jackie didn't respond.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease…"

Jackie grinned and said, "Okay Janna, you can go make out with Mr. Piercings."

"Yay!" Janna jumped high in the air and gave Jackie a peck in the cheek. "You're like the chilliest girl I know." Janna ran after the teen with the black hoodie.

"Of course I am."

"Hey, it's Jackie," someone called out.

Jackie turned her attention to a couple of skaters approaching her. One of them had a purple Mohawk, while the other one was a chunky Latino wearing a Hawaiian dress shirt. She gave them a warm smile as they slid to a stop right next to her.

"Jackster, how's it going, girl?" the Mohawk man asked.

"Hola, Jackie," the Latino said, "it's been a while."

"Zeke! Pablo!" Jackie ran up to them and wrapped her arms around them. The two boys hugged Jackie back.

After a moment, she pushed herself from them. She cleared her throat. "I haven't seen you guys since camp. And Pablo, you haven't been responding to my texts lately. What's up with that?"

"Oh chica, phone broke when I slipped off the rail doing a grind," Pablo replied.

"Yeah, that was brutal." Zeke nudged Pablo with his elbow. "Thank the lord only his phone broke that day."

"Good to know," Jackie said. "Follow me."

Jackie led them around the park, holding her skateboard by the side. From the edge of her eyes, she saw Janna pulling the boy with the hoodie closer to her, biting along his neck.

"So, what brings you to Echo Creek on a Tuesday afternoon?" Jackie asked.

"We ditched shop class and got Pablo's brother to drive us here," Zeke replied.

"Yeah, some hombre jacked all the shop equipment," Pablo said. Jackie recalled earlier today about the stolen welding equipment from school. "But they still expected us to stay in class. I wasn't gonna stay and do nothing. So I got Luiz to drive us here, and we just sorta chilled here for a while."

"Well since you guys are in the neighbourhood…" Jackie placed her skateboard on the ground and set her foot on it. "I've been perfecting my Hardflips and I need an audience."

"Oh yeah, you were doing a lot of those back in camp." The trio walked to the top of the quarter pipe as Jackie placed her board on the edge. It felt like a weight lifted off her chest as she looked down the pipe. "I still remember the one time you got lucky and pulled it off. Everybody lost their minds. But that was a one-time thing. Can you pull off another miracle, Jackster?"

"Well, you guys better be watching now, otherwise you're gonna miss it," Jackie said.

Jackie rode down the pipe. She strode her legs against the asphalt and picked up speed as she approached the rail. Her back leg slid to the end of the board. It hopped up into the air.

She grinded her board on the rail. Jackie jumped off at the end of the rail. The board spun in the air and landed on the wheels.

She swerved around the quarter pipe in front of her. Jackie skated back to the rails. She hopped onto the rails. The board spun as she jumped with it. Her board slid across the rail.

She bounced off the edge of the rail, rotating herself in a 360. Jackie stuck the landing and climbed back up to Zeke and Pablo.

"That was tight, Chica," Pablo said.

"Yeah, you gotta show me how to you did that Ollie Impossible." Zeke propped up the board up and down.

"Oh, it's not that difficult, you just—"

From the corner of her eye, Jackie saw Star Butterfly skating into the park with Marco running behind her.

"Actually, I'll show you guys later, I have to do something really quick."

"Yeah, that's fine, we'll just chill, it's cool," Zeke said.

Jackie skated back down the pipe and jumped onto the rail. As she approached the end of the rail, she propped her board up, flipping it. It spun until it hit the ground on its wheels. Jackie landed back on the board. She swerved to a stop right in front of Star and Marco.

"Hey guys," Jackie said with a smirk. "I never usually see you guys around here. Love the haircut, Star."

Star tussled her the back of her shortened hair with a smile. Jackie noticed Marco wringing his hands around with a gaping mouth. All Jackie could hear from Marco was a quiet hum.

"That, was, amazing Jackie!" Star said, inching closer to Jackie, "you've got to show me how to do that."

Jackie sniggered and said, "Well, last I saw, you were learning things quickly, so I bet you can pull off a few rail tricks by the end of the week."

Jackie turned her attention to the boy with the red hoodie. "Since when did you get into skating, Marco?"

Jackie noticed Marco attempting to mouth out words, but all she can hear is the sound of guttural choking. Star pulled him towards herself, just as another skater swerved past them.

"Oh, Marco?" Star said. "He just got into skating today after I spent all last week blabbering about it. Isn't that right, Marco?"

"Uh, yeah, what she said."

Jackie turned her head to the clock to the side, then she turned back and said, "Well, I have some time to kill before Janna's done making out with all the dudes in the park…"

Jackie, Marco and Star turned their attention to Janna, who had gotten even friskier with the man with the piercings. Jackie noticed Janna's tongue plunged deep into the man's mouth. Janna broke off the kiss, pulling herself aside and waved back at the three. The man forced her back to him, and they delved straight back into their make-out session.

"I could show you guys a few beginner's tricks. What do you say?"

"Yeah, Marco and I are down, let's do this," Star replied.

"Sounds great." Jackie placed her board down and turned around. "Just let me get a few stretches in, then we can get started."

Jackie bent down and felt the tension buckling on the back of her legs. She reached her arms as high as she could to the air. When she turned around, she only saw Star with a look of concern.

"Where'd Marco go?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, he had to go to the washroom I think," Star replied.

"Star, help me stop the bleeding!"

"Come on guys, let's go," Jackie called. _What's the worst that could happen?_

* * *

"Wow, I've never seen anyone survive a face-plant without breaking anything important."

Jackie took a closer look at Marco's face. His right cheek looked like an uncut cat paw went crazy over a scratching post. A faint bruise emanated around his face. Star caressed the right side of Marco's face with her wand, healing the scratches slightly.

Jackie pulled out a towel from her bag and tossed it to Marco. She pulled out a bag of coins from one of the other pouches.

"I'll get some soda, be back in a sec."

She sauntered off to the vending machine, bag of coins in tow. Someone placed a hand on the machine right next to Jackie. She turned to head to find Zeke leaning next to the machine with Pablo behind him.

"Who's your friend with the red sweater?" Zeke asked.

"Oh, that was Marco, he's in all my classes."

"That man has some big huevos trying to do a kick-flip onto a rail, I say," Pablo said, flipping his board around his foot.

Jackie chuckled as she placed quarters into the slot in the machine.

"Yeah, it's surprising actually," Jackie said, "he doesn't strike me as a risk taker. In fact, we call him the 'Safe Kid' back at school."

"Well, kick-flipping into the ground face-first wouldn't be considered something safe normally." Zeke snickered as he inserted his own quarter when Jackie tried to put her last one in. "I would take that as a sign."

"What are you talking about?" Jackie asked.

"Oh, nothing," Zeke replied. He grabbed onto Jackie's necklace and tugged it closer to him. "Where'd you get this new necklace, Jackie?"

Jackie swatted his hand away from her necklace. He relented, letting it go. She pushed the necklace deep into her chest.

"Keep your hands of it Zeke," she said, taking a deep breath. Zeke stared at her, concerned. "Sorry, it's just sentimenta—"

A high pitched wail interrupted Jackie.

"Get your hands off her, you creeps," Marco howled.

Jackie watched Marco slam his fist onto Pablo. The obese Latino tumbled down, as Marco followed up with an uppercut straight to the jaw. In an instant, Marco hopped up and side-kicked Pablo in the abdomen. He plummeted to the ground, clutching his stomach.

"Wha…"

Marco swept Zeke by his legs. The boy in the red sweater snapped his foot onto Zeke's face. Zeke collided with the vending machine and dented its exterior. Jackie shuffled back from the scene, holding her mouth with her hands.

"Don't you touch a single hair on her body, you freaks."

"Marco, they were—"

"Wait, everyone, there's a couple of guys getting touchy with Jackie," one of the skaters said.

"Yeah, that's messed up, yo."

"Let's get 'em!"

Jackie backed away from the oncoming mob of skaters. Each of them took turns stomping on them or whacking them with their skateboards. Jackie turned her head to Marco.

"Marco, they weren't harassing me," she said, "that was Zeke and Pablo, a couple guys from a skate day camp I did back in 8th grade."

"Oh," Marco and Star said in unison. Jackie placed a hand on her forehead and skated away from the scene.

* * *

Jackie lifted herself off her skateboard and perched herself near the edge of the boardwalk. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, turning it on to see a text from Janna.

 _They're in the hospital_ , it said. _They were beaten pretty badly, but the doc said they'll be fine_.

Jackie let out a deep sigh.

She had a couple reasons to hate Marco.

 _He broke my skateboard one time. And he sent two of my friends to the hospital._

Yet, she couldn't bring herself to stay mad at him.

 _That skateboard thing was an accident. And he was just trying to protect her back there._

When Marco and Star arrived at the boardwalk, her mind turned to Marco. She could feel her heartbeat slow down as he approached her. She turned to face him.

"Janna's at the ER with them," Jackie said, "she says they're fine. Bruised and battered, but they'll be okay."

Jackie turned to the edge of the ocean, peering out to the sunset.

"Hey, Jackie, I'm so sorry about earlier," Marco said, "if I'd known…if I'd known they were your friends, they wouldn't be in the ER right no—"

"Whatever man, it's fine." Jackie started to walk past the two. "Mistake happen, don't beat yourself up over it. It gets annoying." Marco reached out to her, but stopped himself. "See you in class tomorrow, I guess."

She meant every word of it. Jackie peered back to Star and Marco. Star placed a hand on his shoulder. Jackie sighed.

A portal materialized in front of Jackie. She yelped and tumbled on her back. An army of grotesque creatures popped out the portal. One of them, a bear-unicorn hybrid, intimidated her by trudging closer to the frightened, skater girl.

"Hey, you were the one that bit me last time," Bearicorn said, "that really hurt you know. Now I wonder what human girl tastes like."

Bearicorn opened his gaping mouth.

"Heads up Jackie," Marco called out.

Jackie ducked as a rock flew over her head into the bear's mouth. It lodged into his throat, choking the bear out.

Marco and Star jumped in front of Jackie. Jackie herself backed up slightly.

"Well, if it isn't Star Butterfly," Ludo said, "I've got you cornered now princess. You're stuck between the ocean and my minions. There's nowhere for you to—"

"Cherry Bomb."

A hefty red cherry rolled down the boardwalk, towards Ludo and his men. Ludo knocked on the cherry twice. Ludo tossed it to Buff Frog. A massive explosion dispersed, knocking everyone across the boardwalk. Jackie slammed onto the railing on the side.

Ludo lifted his head up and said, "Surround them!"

Jackie lifted her head up to see the bear monster and another minion with a gimp mask as well as spike balls for fists surround her.

Marco slid to Jackie, knocking into Bearicorn in the process. The bear pounced on Marco. The boy vaulted to the side and roundhouse kicked the bear. He plunged to the ground, chipping the floorboards.

Jackie watched as Marco tackled the spike monster into the ocean.

"Impressive, Marco."

"Yeah, I am pretty good at this," Marco said.

Dearbeard grabbed Marco from behind. Marco struggled against his bulging biceps.

Jackie felt around the ground for a rock or any throw-able object. She reached her pocket for a scrunchie and found a rock with her right hand. Using the scrunchie as a slingshot, Jackie fired the rock straight into the monster's eye. He dropped Marco as he struggled to pull out the rock embedded on his eye.

Marco ran to Star's side and motioned Jackie to fall back further to the bridge.

"Cupcake Blast!"

Jackie turned around to see a barrage of cupcakes shoot Dearbeard into the ocean. A red claw popped up behind her and tore her necklace off. She turned around and tunneled her vision on the giant lobster monster.

"Guys I got the wand, I got the…" Lobster Claws looked at his claws to see a shell necklace. "Wait this isn't the—"

The lobster turned around to see a screaming Jackie rushing for him. Jackie latched onto the lobster and threw him to the ground. The impact shattered the planks.

Jackie hopped on top of Lobster Claws. She emitted a guttural roar with every swipe on his eyes. Lacerations formed on his eyelids.

"My eyes, my eyes…"

He put his claws in front of his face. Jackie chomped on the arm holding the wand. Lobster Claws yelped and instinctively tossed the necklace down the boardwalk.

Jackie vaulted over the lobster and followed the shell. It slid off the bridge. She jumped over the railing and caught onto the necklace before it plunged into the ocean. Jackie hung onto the edge of the boardwalk as she saw Lobster Claws and Emmitt above her.

"Help," she called out.

Emmitt ran back down, leaving a ticked off giant lobster.

Lobster Claws stomped on Jackie's one hand hanging on the bridge, as Jackie shuffled around the edge.

Marco pounced on the lobster and kicked him off to the side. He pulled Jackie off the edge and back onto the boardwalk.

"Thanks Marco," she said as she tried to tie the necklace around her neck.

Emmitt charged onto the duo. Marco set himself up for the counter attack

Marco drop kicked the monster. Emmitt sputtered to the ground. Without realizing, Marco knocked Jackie to the railing. Her necklace slipped out her hand.

"My Necklace!" Jackie reached out to the falling necklace. It splashed into the water.

She fell on her knees as she stared down to the ocean. The tears in her eyes made her own vision blurry. When Marco turned to look at her, she covered her eyes with her arm and muffled her own sobbing and sniffling.

When she heard someone hop over the railing, she wiped the tears out of her eyes and rushed to a Marco preparing to jump into the ocean.

"No, Marco, you don't need to do this," she stammered out, "you don't need to—"

Marco made a massive splash as he dove head first into the ocean. The tiny bubbles that rose above the surface were the only signs Marco was still alive.

"—do this for me." Jackie looked down on the shoddy planks. She turned back to the ocean for any sign of Marco, but nothing was there. Jackie sighed.

Screams of struggles woke Jackie from her sullen stupor. Star fired blast upon blast of cutesy mishmash, but without Marco, the onslaught of monsters trudged closer and closer.

Jackie picked up another rock and fired it onto the closest creature.

* * *

Ludo and his henchmen slogged through their portal back home in single-file, every one of them crying or sobbing.

"What was that?" Marco asked.

"I'm not quite sure, Marco," Star said.

Jackie's skateboard rolled down the boardwalk. She picked it up by the sides.

"Thanks for the help, Jackie."

"Don't mention it," Jackie replied. She sauntered off to the sidewalk, board in tow. With her free hand she clutched her chest, now devoid of any apparel of any sort. Jackie tilted her head down.

 _Just accept it and move on, Jackie,_ she told herself.

"Jackie! Jackie!" She turned her head around to find Marco running up to her with something in his hand. "Jackie, wait, you almost forgot this." He reached out his hand to her, opening it up to reveal a shell necklace, resting on his palm. Jackie snatched the necklace from his hands. She slammed both hands onto her mouth, as the tears drip down her face and into her hands.

"Marco… you didn't have to do this for me."

"Oh, it's not that big of a deal," he replied, "it got caught near some rocks, it was an easy—"

Jackie wrapped her hands around Marco, squeezing him as tight as he can. She snuggled her head onto Marco's hoodie, resting her head underneath his chin. A few tears stained his hoodie. She lifted her head up and snuck in a tiny kiss to the nose.

"Thank you, Marco." Jackie noticed Marco's blushing. She found something oddly cute about it.

Jackie released Marco from her grasp. "I know I haven't really talked to you guys, like ever, but you guys seem alright. Both of you, pass me your phones."

Marco and Star handed their phones to her. Jackie fiddled around with the contacts for each phone, putting in her name and number in each one. She tossed both phones back to their owners.

"Alright, so my number should be there and everything," Jackie said, "and I'll talk to you guys later."

Jackie hopped onto her skateboard and rode onto the sidewalk.

"Peace."

Jackie sped her skating up as she rode down the empty sidewalk. She fiddled around with retying her necklace before her phone vibrated. Her phone edged out of her pocket and she picked it up. The caller I.D. stated that the caller was Marco Diaz.

She answered it and said, "Yup, it's real." She ended the call and went back to her necklace. When she finished putting it back on, she pressed against the shell, protecting it as she skated along the sidewalk.

After all, it was the last thing her biological father had ever given her.

* * *

In a beach near a tourist town in Oregon, a four year-old Jackie Lynn Thomas stood next to her dad underneath the tin roof of a dingy burger shack. Her dad placed all his money on the counter, as the cashier waited for him to count through all his money.

"Awh shoot Carl, I'm short a dollar again," Jackie's dad said, "think you can just let this slide one more time?"

The cashier rubbed his hand across his wrinkled forehead.

"Every time Jack," Carlos said, "you're always 'one dollar short'. Or 'a couple dollars short'. I swear I'm losing money every time I serve you food. Every time, Jack."

Jackie lifted her head up and looked into the cashier's eyes. The wrinkles on his forehead disappeared and his mouth formed a lopsided smile.

"But, how can I say no to a face like that."

They got their burgers and she followed her dad to the beach parking lot. The two sat on the craggy rock that pointed to the water. Jackie stared at the beachfront.

"Daddy, can we go swimming again?"

Jack swallowed a bite of his burger and turned his attention to his little girl.

"Sorry Jackie, but your mother is going to pick you up soon," he replied, "you know how your mother is with you getting wet."

"But mommy is stupid."

Jack let out a hefty chuckle, he said, "Yeah, she is." He took another bite into his burger, wiping the side of his mouth with the side of his fist. "But she's your mom, and you just gotta do whatever she says."

Jackie pouted. She set her burger to the side and hopped off the rock. She took her dad's longboard perched on the rock, placing it on the ground. Her tiny legs struggled to get on the board. She slid the board with her right foot, moving it along. Jackie wobbled on the board and began to fall backwards.

"I got you Jackie," Jack said, catching the girl before she landed on her back. "Here, let me help you…"

Jack held onto his daughter's hand as she moved the board on the parking lot pavement.

"Daddy, I'm doing it! I can ride a skateboard!"

"Let's not celebrate yet, Jackie," he said, "Let's see if we can reach the other side."

Jack helped Jackie along the ride. When they made it to the other side of the parking lot, they cheered. He held her daughter up high with both hands before pulling her back in with a big hug.

"Jackie, that was fantastic," he said, putting her daughter back down. "One day, you'll be the next Tony Hawk or something."

Jackie smiled as they walked back to their food still sitting on the rocks.

"Hey daddy, if you're not going with me, mommy and other-daddy, where are you going?" Jackie asked.

"Oh, um, I'm going to be…" Jack took a moment to think. "Competing against Tony Hawk in the X-Games. I'm spending all my time practicing for that for the next few months."

"Oh that sounds awesome," Jackie said. "can I ever visit you?"

"Well, I'm going to be busy with practice, so I'm not sure." Jack shoved the rest of the burger in his mouth and swallowed it whole. He looked at her daughter, who finished her burger as well, swallowing her last bite. Jackie noticed her dad's eyes glistening.

"Listen, Jackie," he said, bringing her closer to him, "I don't know when the next time I'll ever see you again is." He reached into his pockets, pulling out a yin-yang necklace out.

"Is that for me, daddy?"

"Yep." Jack wrapped the necklace around Jackie. "I think it fits you really well."

"I love it."

Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "If you ever start missing me, just hold onto that necklace. Think of it as a piece of me. Again, I don't know if I'll ever see you, but promise me you'll hold onto that necklace for me, okay?"

Jackie held the yin-yang symbol to her face. Something about the black-and-white design enticed her. She lifted her head to look her at her dad, a tear streamed down his face.

"I will daddy," Jackie said.

"Thank you." Jack dropped down on both knees and embraced her daughter in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him back. Jackie could feel her dad's body trembling and shaking.

"Alright, Jackie, it's time to go," a woman called out.

Jackie turned around to see her mother walking alongside her boyfriend.

"Mommy, can I stay for a few more minutes?"

"No, Jackie, we're already running late for out flight," Jackie's mother said, "we have to go, now."

"Come on, Jackster, let's go," the mother's boyfriend said, picking the little girl up.

"No, let me stay with Daddy," she said, squirming in the man's arms. "Let me stay with Daddy, let me stay with Daddy!"

Jack looked down on the pavement and covered his eyes with the brunt of his arms.

That was the last time she would ever see her dad.

Little Jackie didn't say much when she arrived at Echo Creek. She helped unpack as best she could for a four year-old. After they finished unpacking, Jackie locked herself in one of the vacant rooms. She spent that whole night crying, clutching the necklace as close to her as she can. Her mother knocked on the door several times that night, but Jackie wouldn't budge.

Jackie spent the last ten years in Echo Creek. Each year, there would be a package inside the mailbox sent from her dad. Inside, there was a new necklace, as well as a letter, giving Jackie an update on his life. She would switch her necklace out for a new one, placing the old one in a collection of other necklaces.

Those necklaces and letters were the only evidence Jackie's father still existed.

Around the start of the school year, Jackie expected the package in the mailbox. It became a tradition for her at this point.

It didn't bother Jackie that the package hadn't arrived that day. Or the next day. Or the day after that. By the 2nd week, Jackie asked her mom about it.

"No, I haven't seen any packages from your father," Jackie's mother said. "I didn't even know he was sending stuff here. I was wondering where you got those necklaces from. Now come on, your dad and I are watching a movie and we would like you to join in."

"Once again mom, he's my stepdad, not my dad."

"Well under this roof, he's your dad and you should treat him as such."

"Whatever," Jackie replied, "I'm going to my room."

That night, Jackie locked herself in her room. She dropped the pile of letters on the floor and began reading them one-by-one. She skimmed through every legible scribble her dad wrote to her. When she reached the final paragraph of the most recent letter, she felt her heart break apart.

 _When you turn into the next Tony Hawk, remember to wear that necklace with pride. And whatever happens in the future, be proud of who you are and whatever you have accomplished. Because I know for a fact, you will have become a better, more successful person than me._

 _Love always, your dad Jack_

That letter came with the shell necklace. It's been over a year since she'd received that package. It's been over a year since her biological father had sent her something.

It's been over ten years since she'd last seen him in person.

That night, Jackie collapsed onto the pile of letters, a sobbing, heaving mess.

* * *

Jackie arrived home after a day of yoga, skateboarding and monster fighting. She opened her mailbox and peered inside.

Nothing.

Jackie shrugged.

 _What's the point crying over it, Jackie?_

* * *

 **Again, if you've read till the end, thank you so much**

 **I'll try to grind more of these out as fast as I can. I have the first half of the season planned out. I even made names for the future episodes for fun. These are subject to change though, but I feel like sharing these:**

 **Episode 5: The Hunting Party**

 **Episode 6: Take Your Kids to Work Day**

 **Episode 7: Let's Go To The Mall, Everybody!**

 **Episode 8: Marco's Sweet 15th**

 **Episode 9: Party at Jackie's!**

 **Episode 10: JustinXJackie**

 **Episode 11: Marco's Date**

 **Episode 12: Star's Day**

 **Episode 13: Tricycles**

 **Episode 14: Let's Rekindle The Fire, Star**

 **Episode 15: Double Date**

 **Episode 16: City Planning**

 **Episode 17: Marco and The Little Munchkins**

 **Episode 18: The Ravenfair Come to Earth**

 **Episode 19: Into The Void**

 **Mid-Season Finale (Episode 20): Soulbound**

 **And yeah, take what you will from these episode titles. Maybe I have spoiled some of my episodes or whatever, but I wanted to share.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading as always.**


	9. The Hunting Party Part 1

**Hey everyone, I'm back with a new chapter.**

 **I've decided to post when I finish and edit a chunk of an episode, because that way, I can update a bit more frequently, and I don't have to do a massive editing session at the end. Those get tiring.**

 **Actually, another thing I want to mention is that, I just realized whenever I go on on mobile, the italics are gone. That's not good, because I rely on those for character thoughts and sometimes headlines as well. If anyone can message me a solution to this, that would be great.**

 **Episode 5: The Hunting Party Part 1**

 **Description: Marco and Star go out hunting with Jackie. When things get awkward, Star takes them both to the Wild Game Dimension, where all the Mythical Creatures live.**

 **This time, I didn't use any Beta-Readers, because I wanted to try editing on my own and see how that went. (Thank you, Pro Writing Aid)**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

In the eight minutes between periods, flocks of students left their classes and congregated into their own cliques around the school. Star Butterfly skipped with every step while Marco struggled to shuffle through the mass of students.

"And that's why I can't stand being around my mother nowadays," Star said, replying to an earlier question Marco asked.

"Star, I just wanted to know where you put my pencil."

"Oh," Star said, "I have no idea."

"Alright," he said, heaving out a sigh. Marco's pockets vibrated in unison. He reached his hands in and pulled out a cellphone from each pocket. Marco tossed Star's phone to her.

"Why don't you hold your own phone?" Marco asked.

"Um, no pockets, Marco," Star replied, flaunting her blue dress.

"Oh, right." Marco swiped through his phone to the text messages he received. He deleted the one from his mom asking how lunch was. He chuckled at the selfie Star sent in second period. His lips formed a wide grin when he swiped to the most recent message. "I got a text from Jackie Lynn Thomas." Marco bounced up and down as he pranced along the hallway.

Star checked her own phone, "Ooooh, I got one from Jackie too." She looked at Marco and chuckled as he didn't stop his incessant hopping. "She's asking if either of us are free this weekend."

"We are," Marco said. "Now, how should I reply Star? Should I say hi, then give her my answer? Or maybe I should first ask her how she's doing, that's polite, right? Or I could—"

"Just say yes?"

"Star, I can't just say that. The text has to be perfect. You only get one chance with a girl as cool as Jackie."

Star rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, it'd probably be best if I didn't send her a text for now," he said. "If I send one now, she'll think I'm desperate and needy. And that's totally not true, because I'm a misunderstood bad—"

Marco's head collided with another. He reeled back, clutching his tingling forehead. He stared down to find his crush sitting on the floor, holding her own throbbing forehead.

"Oh gosh Jackie, I'm so sorry." He kneeled down to her and helped her up off the ground. "Are you hurt? Did you get a concussion? Do you want me to take you to the nurse?"

"Dude, chill, I'm fine," Jackie replied. Marco forced out a shaky laugh while clutching the nape of his neck. "Anyways, did you guys get my text?"

"Yeah, we did," Star said, while Marco preoccupied himself with recomposing himself. "And, yeah, we're free, what'd you have in mind?"

Jackie dusted herself off and flipped her bangs off to the side. "Well, every year, my step-dad and his buddies go out to the woods and go hunting deer or whatever. I was wondering if you guys are interested in coming. My step-dad said I'm allowed to bring a couple of friends—"

Marco interrupted her with his audible quivering. He reeled back his enthusiasm when he noticed he peered a breath away from Jackie. "One question, is Janna coming? I get you two are friends and all, but I'd rather know now than be surprised later."

"Oh, no, Janna's not coming," Jackie said. "Not after the incident."

* * *

Janna stood on a dirt patch, priming the bow and arrow.

"Jackie, I think I saw something." Janna released the bow.

A burly man's screams startled the flocks of birds from the forest.

* * *

"Yeah, he was really insistent I never bring Janna ever again," Jackie said. "So, what do you say? You guys wanna come?"

Marco couldn't suppress his massive grin or his control his own quickened heartbeat.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes…" Marco stopped himself when he saw Jackie back away from him. He took a deep breath. "Yeah, Star and I would love to come."

Jackie placed her skateboard on the ground, "Sounds great, I'll text you the deets." She rolled her board across the hallway, swerving between the clumps of students. "Later."

"Bye, Jackie!" Star said, waving at the girl as she skated. "Well Marco, I had plans of going to the wild game dimension, but I guess we have a change of plans." She turned her head to Marco and noticed his slacked mouth and stiff, unmoving body. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Marco?"

"Star, did… Jackie just ask me out on a date?"

Star placed a hand on her forehead, "No, Marco, it's not a date. We're just hanging out." The bell rung as Star grabbed Marco by the wrist and ran. "Let's go, Marco."

* * *

"Star, I'm not sure if that dress would make for good hunting attire," Marco said. He shoved he arms through the sleeve of his green hunting vest as they walked to Jackie's house.

"You really think so?" Her sleeveless green-camo dress showed her bare arms to the outdoors, inviting the mosquitoes to feast upon it. "I can hunt and look fashionable at the same time."

"If you say so…"

Marco's phone vibrated in his hand. He turned it on to find another text from Jackie.

"Another text from Jackie?" Star asked.

"Yup." Marco skimmed through the message. "She's asking where we are right now. Now, how should I respond to this? Should I—"

Star pushed the phone down from his face. "You should stop over-thinking things. It's gonna do you more harm than good in the long run."

"But Star, I've never had the opportunity to talk to Jackie. I can't squander it by saying anything stupid. I have to—"

"Remember the three C's!"

"Remember the what?" Marco asked.

"The three C's. Stay cool, keep calm and stay collected. It was an old mantra I followed back in my 'bad girl' phase."

"Cool, calm, collected…" Marco took a moment to let the words sink.

"Yeah, the three C's. Jackie is a chill girl. I mean, she did forgive you for nearly putting her friends in a coma."

Marco chuckled, "Yeah, I'm surprised she did."

"Just remember the three C's and take it from there."

They arrived in front of Jackie's driveway. Marco's body tightened as they walked to the front door.

"Don't worry Star, starting today, I'll be the coolest, calmest, most collected person you can imagine." Marco knocked on the door.

"Is there a problem, Sir?"

Marco shifted his head back. His eyes dilated when he saw a burly man in a police uniform and darkened sunglasses. The officer's shadow covered the two teenagers in shade. A bead of sweat ran down the side of Marco's face.

"N-no officer, we're waiting for our friend to come out," Marco said, grabbing Star's shoulder with his clammy hands.

"Really?" The officer paced around in front of them.

Star turned to Marco, "three C's Marco, three C's."

"Recently, there have been a rash of break-ins in this neighbourhood. All of them in broad daylight. Now tell me, what exactly are you doing here?"

"W-we were waiting for our friend, because she's taking us hunting, we aren't here to break-in to any houses, I swear."

"Is that so?" The officer stepped closer and leaned forwards. Marco flinched, attempting to plaster a false smile in front of the officer afterwards. "Do you mind if you two would empty the contents of your pockets?"

Marco pulled out his pockets, dropping his phone on the ground. Star hesitated, biting the bottom of her lip as she stared at her wand. She relented and placed the wand on the ground.

"What is this?" The police officer motioned to grab the wand. In a panic, Star rushed forwards as the door opened.

"Dale, what are you doing?"

The officer turned around Jackie walked the driveway.

"Oh, I was just giving your friends a scare, that's all," the officer said.

"Dale, don't do that," Jackie said. "I don't want to deal with another lawsuit."

Dale brushed off her warning, "Aw, you're no fun, Jackie."

Jackie rolled her eyes and walked up to Marco and Star. "Hey guys. Don't be alarmed, this is Dale, my step-dad."

"Sergeant Dale Thomas of the E.C.P.D.," he said, posturing himself with his hand out. Marco took the signal and shook his hand back. Star did the same.

"Marco, what does E.C.P.D. stand for?"

"Echo Creek Police Department," Marco replied.

"Always here to serve and protect. And maybe scare some teenagers, too." Dale forced out a chuckle. Jackie stared daggers straight to her step-dad's eyes. "I'll leave you three alone while I go grab something from inside, I'll be right back."

Dale ambled back inside the house, closing the door behind him. Marco attempted to reorient himself and held onto his arm to stop shaking.

"That was… intense." Marco stretched his arms out wide. "Nothing I can't handle, though."

"Yeah, Dale gets really intense for a reaction," Jackie said. She ordered them to follow her to the trunk. "You guys wanna see something cool?" They nodded.

Jackie popped the trunk open, revealing a mountain of hunting rifle, shotguns and other firearms. Marco's jaw slacked downwards. Star leaned in closer to the pile of weapons, reaching her arms to grab one.

"Whoa," Star said, picking the biggest shotgun from the pile. She pointed the gun to her eye, looking down the barrel.

Jackie lowered the gun down from Star's face and took it away from her. "Careful Star, you don't want to accidently discharge this straight into your eye." She tossed the weapon back into the pile in the trunk.

"I've never seen weapons like these in Mewni."

"Yeah, Dale is a bit of gun nut," Jackie said, surveying the pile. "As for me, I'm not a big hunting fan…" Jackie picked up a rifle from the pile. She aimed it at an aluminum can standing on the railing in the front door. She squeezed the trigger and fired. The bullet punctured the can and knocked it from the railing. "But I got really good at it."

"What was that?" Dale said, popping out the front door.

"Nothing, Dale," Jackie replied, "just one of the Remington's went off."

"I see." Dale came out the front door decked out in greenish camouflage clothing. Various shades of green paint covered his face, making him nearly unrecognizable to the trio of teenagers. "You folks ready to go?"

"Yeah," they said in unison.

"Great, now everyone in the car," Dale ordered. They shuffled into the inside of the car.

Dale entered the car and fastened his seat belt. The other's did so as well. He started the engine and drove off to the hunting grounds.

From the rose bushes, Buff Frog pulled the binoculars away from his eyes and tore open a portal.

* * *

Jackie got out the car first, stretching her arms and legs out after a relatively quiet car ride to the hunting grounds. Everyone else followed. The trunk popped up automatically, revealing the plethora of hunting rifles and shotguns.

"Alright guys, pick out your favourite and I'll show you the proper firing techniques." Jackie picked up a green camo-covered bolt-action rifle and a box of blank cartridges. Star shuffled the pile of guns for the biggest rifle. Marco grabbed a random gun from the pile.

They walked to a target practice section set-up by another hunter. Jackie tossed a pair of headphones to the two.

"Put them on, these guns get really loud." Marco and Star obliged. Star tossed aside red spiked headband and slipped the headphones on. "You guys can hear me, right?" Both of them raised their thumbs. Jackie pointed to the dummy posted on the stake. "There's a certain form you have to follow when you're shooting a rifle. Otherwise you might end up hurting yourself.

"Right hand on the trigger, left underneath the gun, bring it up to your eye like this and fire." Jackie fired the entire clip onto the dummy. The spot between its eyes smoldered in thick smoke while Jackie left the rest of the dummy untouched. Jackie lifted the smoking barrel underneath her mouth and blew it out.

"Whoa…"

"Yeah, I've been doing this for ten years now." Star stared at the spot where at least eight rounds hit, looking at her own gun. "Okay Star, you have a really big gun there, so you have to be extra care—"

Star pulled the trigger. A massive blast exploded from the barrel as the sound pierced through Jackie and Marco's headphones. The recoil plunged Star into a tree, denting the bark as she slid down the tree. Star plunged to the ground on her stomach.

"I'm okay," Star said, coughing on the dirt.

Marco stared at the slumped over Star and proceeded to take precautions. He tried to recall the proper form Jackie followed, bringing the scope right to his eye. He placed his finger on the trigger before someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa, careful there Marco." He turned his head to Jackie, who also eased the gun down from his eye. "Putting the gun that close to your face will lead to the recoil breaking your jaw." Marco felt Jackie's chest press on his back as her hands shifted his arms in the proper position. He didn't complain as the heat emanated from his reddened face. She stepped back as Marco held his form for Jackie. Dissatisfied, Jackie squished even closer to Marco, fiddling around with his hand positions once more.

Marco grinned. Without thinking, Marco moaned underneath his breath.

"You okay?" Jackie asked.

"What," Marco could muster, coming out of his own stupor. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good."

Jackie looked at Marco's form before stepping back herself, "Whenever you're ready."

Marco took a deep breath. He squeezed the trigger, firing out round-after-round onto the dummy. He wiped his brow after emptying the shotgun.

"That was…" Jackie paused as she grabbed the rifle out of Marco's hands, "okay for a first timer." Marco looked onto the dummy, where only one round had punctured the abdomen. The other bullet holes were nowhere to be seen. Marco hunched over and lowered his head. An effeminate hand touched Marco's shoulder. "Don't feel too bad about it. Proper rifle firing is hard."

Marco forced his head up and gave a lopsided, bitter grin.

"Star, you okay back there?" Jackie asked.

"Give me a minute," Star replied.

Jackie motioned Marco to follow her, "Let's go guys, Dale is probably wondering where we are."

Marco helped Star up and held her as they walked into the forest with Jackie.

Behind the tree, Buff Frog tended to the wound from the grazed bullet.

* * *

They found a clearing through all the mess of bushes and trees. Dale arms his rifle and crawls into one of the bushes. Marco and Star dropped on all fours to follow him, only to be stopped by Jackie.

"There's nothing deeper in the forest," Jackie said. "Just set up your chairs and wait for something to pass-by instead."

They placed their chairs on the clearing and sat down, waiting for any wild game to pass. Jackie opened the cooler, diving her hand into the pile of sodas. She pulled out an inconspicuous orange soda from the cooler. "Feel free to take one."

Star materialized a pair of binoculars. She looked through them to find more greenery and the occasional bird.

Pulling away from the binoculars, she asked, "What exactly lives here? Ferocious Manticores? Any 6-headed hydras? Please say there are wolves here."

"In this forest?" Jackie responded. "You'll only find deer and the rare grizzly."

Star's posture eased up and the corner of her lips pointed downwards.

"That's… cool, I guess." She pulled up her rifle and aimed down the sights.

When he attempted to make conversation, his mind drew a blank. He wiped over the underside and barrel of his rifle several times over, taking the extra effort to try make sure not a speck of dust laid on the gun.

"Clean enough, Marco?" Jackie asked.

"Huh… oh yeah, I just want to make sure it's spotless. It's your gun, after all."

Jackie shrugged as she crushed and tossed the orange can to the side. She snagged another can from the cooler.

"So… how long have you done this for?" Marco questioned. "Hunting, I mean. Seems like you've been doing this for a while now, it seems."

"I thought I already said ten years."

"Oh… I, uh… probably missed that, my bad."

"It's cool, dude."

Marco turned away from Jackie and heaved out quick, yet hefty breaths. _Three C's Marco, Three C's._

Star shifted to the others.

Marco cleared his throat, he said, "I heard you and Justin broke up."

"Yeah, a while ago," Jackie said.

"Oh, good, good…" Jackie turned to Marco with a blank stare. "I mean not good, that's bad, really bad."

"I got over him, I wish he got over me."

"Oh, well that's good." Marco grabbed a cherry cola from the cooler. With Jackie's attention directed towards him, he popped the can open with his teeth.

The aluminum sliced his tongue. He pressed on his mouth to stop the drops of blood from spilling onto the forest floor.

"Dude, you okay?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…" Marco covered his tongue with the cloth. "But what about you, are you fine, how are you holding up, do you need a friend to help you with a breakup because I can be your friend and— "

"Marco, I'm fine."

Marco shut himself.

"But thanks for asking."

Star surveyed the lush forest, hoping to find a deer, or a grizzly, or anything to shoot. For twenty minutes, Star kept her sights aimed down the gun, only to find more trees and other greenery. Not a single word uttered from anyone in that time.

The only noises prevalent in the massive forest were the chirping cicadas and Jackie sipping on her soda. Instinctively, Star's foot tapped on the forest floor, gathering a cloud of dust beside her heel.

Marco attempted to break the silence, he said, "So uh…" He held onto that syllable, as Star shook her leg even faster.

Star held her hands together and tucked them closer to her chin. Her grimace grew as she noticed Jackie raising an eyebrow at Marco, still attempting to make a coherent sentence. Her body quivered in increasing intensity, her own pained humming grew louder. The shaking knocked her gun over on its side.

A powerful blast discharged from the barrel. Star rolled over to the ground and pressed on her ringing ears.

When the ringing stopped, Star lifted her head up to see Marco and Jackie up from their chairs, looking at her with concerned faces.

"You alright, Star?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Star replied. She knew she couldn't handle spending an entire day in awkward silence in the middle of the forest. Star searched her backpack, shifting the contents around to find her dimensional scissors in the bottom of the bag. "You guys want to go somewhere where there's more than just deer to hunt? Where there's monsters bigger, more ferocious than a grizzly?" Star pulled out the dimensional scissors.

Marco raised his eyebrows at the princess. "Star, where are you taking us?"

"The Wild Game Dimension…"

"The wild what—"

"Come on, it might not be too late to see the Manticores." Star tore open a portal and dragged Marco through.

"Hold up, guys," Jackie said, holstering her shotgun and packing extra bullets. "Where does this take us?" Jackie rushed through the portal.

Behind some thorny bushes, Buff Frog opened his own portal and walked into it, clutching his grazed wound.

* * *

"Ludo, master, I have located Princess Butterfly and her friends," Buff Frog said, standing upright in front of his leader.

"Excellent work as always, Buff Frog, I"—Ludo noticed the wound on his calf—"uh, what happened to your leg there."

"Tis only a scratch, master," Buff Frog said, brushed off his wounded leg. "Anyways, Princess Butterfly, along with her bodyguard and another girl have traveled to the wild game dimension."

"I see…" Ludo took a moment, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling. "This is perfect. I've always wanted an excuse to go there again."

Buff Frog leaned forward, he said, "Ludo, master, I recommend we don't go there, let them go for today." He twiddled with his fingers. "The Wild Game dimension is too dangerous."

"Nonsense, it's a wonderful place." Ludo hopped off from his throne. "I've spent my summers as a child there, griffin hunting with my father. Ah, those were the simple days." Ludo walked to the back, motioning Buff Frog to follow him. "Bearicorn, assemble the men to deploy onto the Wild Game dimension. Buff Frog and I will see Toffee for some advice."

Ludo walked through the henchman's quarters, with Buff Frog behind. They reached a wooden door with a goat skull ornament attached to the door frame. Buff Frog hesitated from moving any closer.

"Can we call off the attack and call it a day?"

"Why?" Ludo asked. "Why are you so insistent on not going?"

"It's a long story, I—"

Ludo put his hand up, interrupting him, "Never mind, I don't want to hear it. After we consult with Toffee, we're going straight to the Wild Game dimension, are we clear?"

Buff Frog nodded.

Ludo wrapped his hand into a fist and knocked on the wooden frame.

"Come in, it's unlocked."

Ludo signaled Buff Frog to open the door. He turned the knob and pushed the door open. The scent of fresh pine wood and Mewnian swamp water welcomed their noses. The sides of the room filled to the brim with shelves of books. Ludo stepped on a cashmere rug. It had a simplistic design of two columns of orange slits, three for each column. The cashmere massaged the soles of Ludo's feet.

Behind a mahogany desk, sitting in brown leather, Toffee placed his book down on his desk and peeled his reading glasses off his eyes. He pushed his chair away from his desk and took off from his chair. With the edge of his hand, he dusted off the bits of lint that accumulated on his sleeves of his suit jacket.

"Welcome, Master Ludo."

Ludo peered around the room, admiring the elegance and cleanliness, at least compared to the rest of his own castle.

"I love what you did with this place, Toffee, I'm"—Ludo's eyes catch the brown adjustable chair behind the desk—"is that real leather?"

"Correct Ludo, would you like a seat?" Toffee asked.

"Definitely." Ludo jumped onto the chair, shifting himself around the leather. "This is wonderful, where did you get this?"

While Ludo and Toffee fiddled around with the chair. Buff Frog preoccupied himself with peering through the contents on Toffee's desk. The cover of the book read _The Comprehensive Guide to Encor History._ A newspaper dated today laid next to the book. He picked it up from the desk. His eyes darted to the massive headline plastered in the middle of the page:

 _Armistice Deal Falls – Conflict over Corthite Continues_

He scanned through the rest of the paper, barely paying attention to the details in the stories. A certain part of the paper captured his attention.

"This isn't Mewnian Press… This is—"

"None of your business." Toffee pulled the paper away from Buff Frog. He gathered the newspaper, the book and a manila folder into a pile, turning around to open up one of the cabinets. "So, Ludo, how can I help you?" He placed everything on hand into the cabinet, locking it.

"I'm mobilizing the men for another attempt at getting the wand," Ludo said.

"It seems you've been having a hard time with that."

"Yes, yes, I know." Ludo grimaced over the last few futile attempts at the wand. "This time we're heading over to the Wild Game Dimension, and I was wondering if there were anyways to use the wild beasts to our advantage. I trust you know something about the dimension."

Toffee sat back down on the leather chair, leaning back to place his feet on the mahogany, "Ah yes, the Wild Game Dimension. The monsters are particularly ferocious this time of year, which can be a blessing or curse depending on who you ask."

"I think it's too dangerous," Buff Frog said, "And it's best if we let them be for today, nobody else needs to die."

Toffee pushed his chair into his desk, leaning closer to Buff Frog, "Something traumatic, I suppose?"

"The Rabid Pink Abomination…" Buff Frog averted his gaze from Toffee and Ludo. "It was supposed to be a field trip, filled with sightseeing and hunting." Something constricted Buff Frog's chest as he struggled to recount that fateful day. "It got them, it got them all… Only I survived." Buff Frog collapsed onto the ground in a flurry of choking and sobs.

Toffee rolled his eyes down to the sobbing mass, "I'm sorry for your loss." He opened a drawer underneath his desk, finding a present box tied with red ribbon. "The majority of the creatures in that dimension react to high pitched stimuli. In that case…" Toffee pushed the box to Ludo. "I believe this will be useful."

Ludo untied the ribbon and opened the box. A small, cylindrical whistle rested on a velvet crevice. He grabbed it, rotating it around, moving it closer to his eye.

"A dog whistle?"

"This 'dog whistle' can create the highest conceivable pitch in the universe. Even the most ravenous creatures will be subdued by a single blow," Toffee explained. The door rattled open. "In fact, try it out now."

Bearicorn walked into the room, he said, "Toffee, the vending machine is broken, can you—"

Bearicorn crumbled to the ground. He clenched onto his ears as he shrieked in pain, echoing across the castle.

Ludo stopped blowing and pulled the whistle away from his mouth. He watched Bearicorn, still writhing in pain. The lord pondered on the situation. He placed the whistle on his mouth once more.

The screaming grew louder. Ludo stared at the agonized Bear-unicorn hybrid. A drop of blood stained the cashmere rug. Toffee pulled the whistle away from Ludo.

"Stop that, you'll break his ear drums." Toffee passed the whistle back to him.

"I think this will be the day I get my wand." Ludo spun his whistle in the air. "Not even Star's magic can withstand the hordes of chimeras and centaurs I control with this whistle." Ludo walked over the two sobbing messes on the ground. "Come on you two, quit your crying and let's get a move on." Ludo closed the door behind him.

"Well, now I've gotten that out the way." Toffee turned back and reopened the cabinet, pulling out the book once more. He stared at the sobbing frog and the suffering bear, still on the ground.

"I don't care if you stay here or not, but try to keep quiet, please." Toffee opened up his book and continued reading.

* * *

 **Thanks for Reading**


	10. The Hunting Party Part 2

**Here's the continuation of "The Hunting Party"**

 **Episode 5: The Hunting Party Part 2**

 **Description: Marco and Star go out hunting with Jackie. When things get awkward, Star takes them both to the Wild Game Dimension, where all the Mythical Creatures live.**

 **Thanks to the following Betas for helping me:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
silver tears85**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

The lush, green forests were the first things the trio saw when they stepped out the portal. Marco took in his surroundings, seeing a variety of different environments placed side-by-side. One section consisted of forest while right next to it, barren, desolate desert stretched all the way to the horizon. After the desert, lay a dense, vegetation-laden rain forest. It contrasted with the sparsity of the rocky, sandy desert beside it.

Marco looked all around, taking in the changing environments and how impossible such a thing would be.

"Star, where did you bring us?" Jackie asked, looking side-to-side between the shifting environments.

"Only the best vacation spot in the universe." Star's eyes widened as she looked up to see the griffins flying overhead. "The Wild Game Dimension, home of every mythical creature ever imagined." A unicorn galloped into the rain forest, as a herd of chimeras chased after it. In the desert biome, rock giants raised from the ground, before trudging their way across the desert. Something beneath the ground zoomed past the lumbering stone masses.

Marco shuffled to the side as a couple of centaurs rushed past. A loud splash burst from the tundra waters. The trio turned their heads toward the tundra, as a phoenix rose above the water, fish latched on its beak. In a single motion, it swallowed the fish whole, and dove back into the cold waters.

"Wait, wouldn't water extinguish a phoenix?" Marco asked.

"Nah mate, because of its internal flame, a phoenix in anything hotter would fry the poor bird."

Star, Marco and Jackie turned around to see a bearded man walking up to them. He adjusted his trilby with a metallic arm.

"Brevon!" Star pounced the man, wrapping her arms around him.

The man hugged her back and said, "Star Butterfly, it's been so long. What have you been up to lately?"

"Well, you know, just royal Mewni things," Star said, shifting her shoulders in a shrug. "Oh wait, Brevon, I got my wand now." She pulled out her purple wand with the star insignia, as a Centaur trotted by. A beam of blue light fired straight at the centaurs head; it transformed into another torso. Marco backed away, taking a quick glance before turning away from it, shivering.

"I didn't expect you to grow up so fast, Star."

"Well, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Star turned around to see Marco and Jackie staring at the landscapes, pointing out other mythical creatures. "Brevon, come meet my friends." She dragged him by the mechanical arm, almost tripping him over. Star whistled to grab their attention. "Guys, this is Lord Brevon, he's the guy that runs this place."

"The Lord part is just an intergalactic formality, please just call me Brevon," he said. "Welcome to my little piece of heaven, The Wild Game Dimension."

"Dude, this place is awesome," Jackie said.

"Yeah, the animals here are things you can only find a fairy tale," Marco said. "How did you get them all here in one dimension?"

"Well…" Brevon bent down, letting a black, fork-tongued snake slither up his metal arm. "My ancestors were avid hunters and mythical creature connoisseurs. They loved the thrill of the hunt, and turning fairy tale creatures into trophies.

"However, they weren't satisfied with just collecting trophies. They wanted more, they wanted a place where all the creatures congregated in one place, for everyone to see. Thus, for generations, we have been finding and capturing mythical creatures across the galaxies, breeding them until they have created a vibrant ecosystem of many animals. I carry a legacy that spans thousands of years of hunting and breeding. It is my duty to maintain this dimension, and all the creatures that call this place, home."

Marco raised his hand.

"Yes, you in the red sweater and tacky vest," Brevon said, pointing at Marco. Marco scowled.

"How did you do the shifting climate thing?" Marco asked, directing everyone to the part where the rain forest turns into a tundra. "How does that work?"

"The shifting… Oh, that's, um, it's a family secret." Brevon scratched the back of his neck, while his lips formed a lopsided smile. "Anyhow, you're free to do all the hunting you wish. Always take caution though, as the creatures here are fierce and unpredictable. You don't know when something will sneak up from behind and—"

A massive, silverback gorilla snatched Brevon into the air. Brevon struggled against the gorilla's grasp, trying to squirm out; he screamed for help. The gorilla used Brevon to rub his back, smothering the poor man in gorilla fur.

Marco lifted his head to see the gorilla's face. It grinned and sighed as it rubbed Brevon back and forth on its back.

Star pulled out her wand and aimed it at the gorilla's head.

"Icy wind—"

"Star, I got this," Jackie said, pulling out a scoped rifle. From her ammo pack, she took out a pack of green darts and placed one into the chamber. She took aim and pulled the trigger. The dart hit straight onto the side of the neck.

The gorilla tumbled around before collapsing on its back. It loosened its grip on Brevon, letting him go. The trio caught up to him, and helped him up.

He cleared his throat and said, "Thank you. See, creatures here are all unpredictable, so you must always take the proper precaution." Brevon sniffed himself, his face formed a scowl in an instant. The three noticed a pungent scent, they quickly covered their noses. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to change trousers." Brevon scurried away, holding his backside in.

Star ran off to the rain forest, motioning the other two to follow. "Come on guys, I think the manticores are in this forest."

"Coming." Jackie started to saunter off, before noticing Marco hadn't moved an inch. He gazed into the empty pastures, unblinking. "You alright, Marco?"

He came to his senses, shaking his head and stammering out random syllables. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Marco picked up his pace and tried to catch up with Star. He pulled out his rifle, holding it with both hands. "Come on, we got some hunting to do."

Marco put on a forced grin as the thought of a manticore gnawing on him ran through his head.

* * *

Jackie lay on the patch of grass, on her stomach. She kept the scope of the rifle pressed to her eye. Marco imitated Jackie, bringing his shaky arms up with the rifle.

A pair of binoculars emerged from Star's wand. She looked through them, only to find gremlins and fox-like creatures scurrying about. Star turned her head towards Jackie, who was still looking down the scope of the gun.

"You're not going to kill them, are you?" Star asked. Jackie took her eye off the scope. "Please tell me you won't."

"Nah, I'm using the tranquilizer darts instead." Jackie aimed the rifle down the lush forest. "Does Brevon mind if we take anything home?"

Star shrugged, she said, "Well, I've always wanted a pet manticore. I don't see why we can't take one. I'll ask him later."

"Make sure you keep it in your room, Star," Marco said. "I don't want to get mauled by another giant feline creature again."

"I thought it really liked you, Marco."

"He was willing to get friendly, that's for sure." Marco caressed the bite marks underneath his chest.

"Keep it down, you two," Jackie snapped, "I think I found something. Star get a closer look… a bit to the left."

Star pulled up her binoculars. She found a lion-like creature, with a scorpion tail, standing upright beside a tree. It hopped up from the ground, pawing at an owl-like creature perched on a high-up branch.

Jackie steadied her aim on the manticore. The crosshairs positoned on its neck. She had her finger on the trigger

 _3… 2… 1—_

A loud bang pierced the air. A bullet struck the tree and the manticore backed away from the smoldering bullet hole.

"Marco!"

Marco noticed the slight whiff of smoke from the muzzle of the gun. He slammed his face with both hands.

"Sorry, sorry—"

"Guys, I think we have a manticore coming our way," Star said.

The manticore converged towards the trio. It popped out of the bush and dove at Marco.

Marco reached for his rifle as the manticore's tail hung above his head. It seemed the tail froze above Marco for hours; manticore saliva dripped onto his chest. Marco reeled his head back as the creature leaned forward. The sound of a dart flew by before puncturing the manticore's neck.

It eyes struggled to stay open. The manticore fell to the side, moaning before passing out.

Marco backed away from the unconscious manticore, whimpering and shaking.

"You okay, Marco?" Jackie asked, looking at him with unblinking eyes and a straight expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine, that was just my special bait technique." Marco stood up straight, forcing out a smirk. "Bait the prey to come closer, then it's an easy target for you to clean up."

"Well, that's how hunting accidents occur, Marco," Jackie said. She stuffed all the darts back into her pouch and hung the rifle off her back. "But, I appreciate the effort. Try not to do that again, for your own safety."

Jackie's words rendered Marco speechless. Star bumped her elbow on his shoulder.

"Good recovery, Marco" Star noticed Marco's legs wobbling. "Stop shaking."

* * *

The trio walked out of the forest with Star levitating the manticore with her wand. Jackie and Star took turns petting its mane.

"It's so cute," Star said.

"Yeah, it's adorable when it's asleep," Jackie said as she snuggled her face in its thick fur.

"Remember to keep it in your room and take good care of it," Marco said. "And make sure it doesn't try to go outside, I've read about these things and they like the taste of human flesh."

"Come on, Marco, I'm a great pet owner. Remember the Atlantean piranha my dad sent over? I fed it, cherished it and cleaned it."

"Wait, are you talking about the one you flushed down the toilet?" Marco asked.

* * *

Star stared into the toilet bowl as a blue piranha swam against the flushing current.

"Go, Bluesy, Go!"

The toilet engulfed the piranha, leaving nothing behind when the water rose back up.

"Aww" Star said, dropping her head with a frown.

Marco knocked on the door and asked, "Star, why am I getting status updates by everyone in Echo Creek about piranhas popping out of their toilets?"

"Uh, oh."

* * *

Star shrugged, she said, "Who knew Atlantean piranhas could breed that fast in sewage?"

"So that explains the dead piranhas stuck in the pipes," Jackie said. "And here I thought someone from school pulled off some massive prank or something."

"Nope, that's just a typical Monday with Star," Marco said. "You get used to it."

"Better than watching Monday Night Football with Dale every week, that's for sure."

They reached a wooden shack on the edge of the forest. Brevon came out of the door, rushing towards Star. She dropped the comatose manticore in at his feet.

"What's this?" Brevon bent down and pulled its head closer for inspection. "Star, you brought dinner for tonight?"

"What, no," she stammered, "I was just wondering if we could bring this back home, as a pet."

"Manticores don't make good pets." Brevon stretched the manticore's mouth wide open, peering into its depth. "Unless you have access to a sustainable amount of human flesh. Also, don't touch the tail, under any circumstances, unless you like losing limbs." Brevon looked down at his metallic arm and squeezed the palm of the barely functional hand. "How did you manage to subdue such a ferocious creature?"

"It was all thanks to Jackie, and those sleepy dart things," Star said.

"Yeah, all it takes is a shot to the neck with one of these"—Jackie pulled out a green tranquillizer dart from her pouch—"and you can put anything to sleep…" She noticed a black, puma-like beast with appendages sprouting out from the shoulder. It seemed to approach them, picking up speed as it got closer to the group. She inserted a dart into the rifle.

"Hey Brevon, can you move to the side, please?" He complied, shuffling to the left while Jackie pulled up her rifle. She took aim at the advancing black mass and pulled the trigger. It fell to the side and stopped moving.

"Nice shot, Jackie." Star's binoculars reappeared and she looked through them to find a six-legged creature with two tentacles popping out the shoulders.

"What did you shoot, Jackie?" Marco asked.

"I don't know," Star said, focusing on its thick, muscular appendages, "it looks like some puma-octopus thing."

"Puma-octo… Star pass me your binoculars." Star tossed the binoculars to Brevon. He stared down the lens, dropping the binoculars and shuffling back. His lips trembled as he stuttered, "That's no ordinary puma, that's a displacer beast. They don't tend to leave the forest."

Marco craned his neck, indicating to the others to look behind them.

A pack of heavy, grotesque wolves sprinted towards the shack. One of them hopped over the lead wolf, its mouth foaming and drooling.

Jackie placed her dart rifle on her back and armed herself with a shotgun. Star held out her wand towards the wolf pack. Marco raised his arms up, before putting them back down again.

"Star, can't we just use the dimensional scissors to get out, right now?"

"Oh yeah, we can," Star replied. "Brevon, you fine with handling things on your own?"

"Yeah, I can lead the dire wolves back, you kids just run home now with the manticore."

"Great, I think we've done enough hunting today, let's go…" Star felt around her dress and looked through her bag, only to find no pair of scissors anywhere. "Guys, I think I left the scissors at the hunting spot."

Marco and Jackie turned their heads to Star and scowled.

"Sorry."

Marco lifted his head up, he said, "Oh no."

A group of griffons flew in the direction of the group. Ludo rode on top of one, holding onto its neck with one hand, and the whistle with another.

"You may be able to take on my army, Star Butterfly, but let's see if you can handle the sheer number of creatures coming your way." Ludo blew the whistle, the griffons grimaced from the incredibly high pitch.

Jackie fired at the closest wolf. It brushed off the shell and pounced her. She knocked the wolf away with the butt of her gun. She opened her ammo pouch, to find a box of blank cartridges.

"Oh that's right, Dale bought blanks."

Marco kicked a dire wolf. The wolf tumbled on the ground before landing on its legs. He hopped back to Jackie, still searching her bag for anything with real gunpowder.

"We have to get out of here," Marco pleaded, pointing to the clearing on the other side. "There's no way we can handle that."

An onslaught of mythical beasts rushed in the direction of the shack. A hydra in the front led the army of creatures.

Brevon came back riding a unicorn, with a second one trotting beside it.

"Hop on, everyone, we'll lose them in the forest."

Star leapt on the rider-less unicorn and pulled Jackie up. Marco lifted himself up behind Brevon

The unicorns galloped into the forest. Ludo flew his griffon over the trees.

"All according to plan."

* * *

There were mythical creatures behind Star, as well as in front of her. All of them seemed eager to devour the group as they escaped into the forest.

Star and Brevon rode their unicorns on the trail. A dire wolf tailed right behind Star and Jackie. Each leap closed the distance between them. Jackie shot at the onslaught behind them, the adrenaline rising as the wolves rushed closer.

"Banana Pratfall Galore!"

Hundreds of banana peels covered the trail behind Star. The monsters behind slipped on the peels, tumbling on their heads and backs.

Star broke off from the path and rode into the dense cover of trees. Brevon followed suit.

A golden-furred bear popped out from the bushes. The unicorn scurried to dodge the swipe. Jackie blew him back with a shotgun blank. Star directed the unicorn deeper into the forest.

"You've gotten a lot better at unicorn riding, Star," Brevon said.

"Yeah, my dad taught me himself."

"That's lovely."

Star leapt over a plummeting tree. She looked to the side to see a one-eyed ogre picking up the tree. She commanded the horse to sprint as the ogre threw the tree over their heads. The tree landed behind them.

"Speaking of your father, how is King Butterfly? I haven't seen him here in such a long time."

"Oh, you know, he's been busy with king duties and lectures."

From atop the trees, a koala-like creature dropped down onto Brevon and Marco.

"Someone get this Drop bear out of my face," Brevon pleaded.

Marco screamed as the Drop bear pressed its dagger-like claws onto his face; He struggled to punch the bear's face away from him. When a shell hit the bear on the side of the abdomen, it released its grasp and flew down to the ground. Marco caressed the scratches on his face.

"Marco, do you remember where the hunting site was?" Star asked.

"Give me a minute." Marco tried to recall various details of the clearing, such as the massive birch that provided shade and the clear view.

"Marco!"

"Don't rush me!" A chimera rushed behind Marco. It opened its gaping maw.

Brevon and the unicorn hopped over a log as the chimera nearly bit its tail.

Marco pointed to the left, "Over there, by that huge tree."

Star shifted the unicorn's direction to the left. She kicked the unicorn with the side of her foot. It rallied up, before it galloped to the tree.

"Imitation Apparito!" Faint projections of the two unicorns puffed out of smoke. The mock unicorns turned away from the real ones and sprinted away. The pack of creatures followed the copies, including the chimera.

Star and Brevon reined in their unicorns when they reached the hunting spot.

Jackie dismounted then said, "I'll check around the bushes for the scissors. Marco come down and help me."

Marco hopped down and followed Jackie into the bushes.

Star and Brevon peered through the clearing, looking for any signs of the dimensional scissors. A massive shadow was cast from overhead.

Star looked up to see an army of griffins above. Ludo's henchmen dropped from the sky and surrounded Star and Brevon. Jackie and Marco camouflage themselves in the bushes.

Ludo and his griffin descended on the clearing. Emmitt carried him down from the griffin.

"Ludo," Star said, peering into his yellow eyes. "How did you find me here, of all places?"

"Come on, Star, I'm just here to spend time with the griffins." Ludo tousled his griffin underneath its beak. "It's not like I spend all my time hunting you down."

"Actually, yeah, you kinda do," Star replied.

Ludo growled, "That's beside the point."

Brevon took his hands and placed them in a twisted, unusual position in front of his mouth. He whistled through his hands. The griffins responded to the call, converging behind him.

Bearicorn plugged his ears as Ludo pulled up his whistle. An inaudible pitch resonated in the air, as the griffins heeled in pain, grimacing and covering their own ears. Ludo stopped blowing the whistle as the griffins heaved in a sigh of relief.

"I love this thing," Ludo said as he looked at the whistle.

"So that's where the mythical Universal Whistle went," Brevon said. "I thought I lost it in the tundra years ago."

Star and Brevon pressed their backs against each other as the griffins and Ludo's henchman encircled the two.

* * *

Marco and Jackie watched the griffins squirm as Ludo continued to blow on the whistle. She still had her shotgun at hand. Jackie checked inside her ammo pouch and found a polish firecracker underneath the blank shotgun shells.

"You still have your rifle, right?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah, I do." Marco reached behind for the hunting rifle he picked out earlier that day, shuffling the leaves in the bush. "What good will it do with blanks?"

Jackie snickered, "Have you ever heard of former TV actor Jon-Erik Hexum?"

"No…" Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Well, let's just say there's a reason they don't let actors play Russian roulette with blanks off-set anymore." Jackie loaded up her shotgun with as many rounds as she could.

"Get to the other side and as soon as I set this thing off"—Jackie showed Marco the firecracker—"start firing at the crowd. Then we'll take it from there. Oh, and don't forget to put on your headphones."

Marco crawled on the outskirts of the clearing, shuffling from bush to bush. When he got to the other side, he held up a thumbs up.

Jackie lit the firecracker and tossed it in front. The crowd of griffins and Ludo's henchmen approached Star and Brevon. A goat monster with a turtle shell on his back turned around and saw the fuse on the firecracker burn out.

The canister burst into a miasma of debris. A muffled shockwave discharged around the clearing. The sound of an explosion made everyone turn their heads to cloud of smoke billowing from the blast site.

"Open fire!" Jackie and Marco fired blasts of blank shotgun shells into the crowd. Ludo's men scattered through the clearing.

"Ludo, we're surrounded," one of the henchmen said. A shell struck his abdomen. He clutched his stomach and dropped to his knees.

Ludo covered himself from the gunfire with his skull crown.

"Flush out the attackers!" Ludo commanded. "Someone keep their eyes out on Princess Butterfly!" He blasted the whistle with every last bit of breath. "Let's go, let's go!"

A trio of griffins and Emmitt rushed to the princess. Star raised her glowing wand to the side, "Cosmic Wind Slash!" With each whip of the wand, a gust of wind covered in white specs blew out. Emmitt flopped on his back by the sheer force of the wind. The griffins tumbled in the air into the trees.

"Careful with the griffins Star," Brevon said, "they're really fragile."

"I know!" Star shifted her sights to Ludo, still forcing air through the whistle.

"Hail Mary Slash!" A burst of icy wind swirled out her wand. Ludo, along with a few henchmen, froze in place. Ludo struggled to move his frozen foot off the ground. A flurry of shotgun fire blasted Ludo on his side.

In the bush, Marco emptied his rifle to the last bullet. Bearicorn dashed to the bush. Marco tossed the rifle to the side. When Bearicorn pounced into the bush, Marco clinched him with both arms. Marco pivoted to his back and threw the bear to the ground. Marco recoiled as the bear grimaced in pain.

The Big Chicken sprinted head first to Marco. Marco punted him straight in the abdomen and drove his elbow down the back of the chicken's head. It battered head-first on the dirt clearing, blasting a bit of dirt off the ground.

Ludo attempted to say something as the frost on his tongue prevented him from fully speaking.

"Buff Frog," Ludo said as the frost muffled his normally shrill voice, "help me, I can't feel my arms or legs."

"Coming Master Ludo, I'm…" A chubby, pink rabbit nuzzled up to Buff Frog's leg. Buff Frog glared at the rabbit's adorable eyes. He grinded his teeth as the rest of his body tensed up into a rigid statue.

"You… you're the rabid pink abomination." The rabbit nibbled on his shins, tickling it. "You cruel, cold-blooded murderer!" It hopped into a bush, away from the ensuing battle. "Come back here, I will have my vengeance!"

The frost around Ludo's arm made it impossible to use it to slam his forehead.

Jackie rushed to load up as many shells into the shotgun. The three-eyed potato baby popped into the bush and struggled to grab the shotgun off her hands. She dove down to her legs and slammed her feet onto his knees.

The potato baby released its grasp as it buckled down to his knees. A blast blew him on his back. The burst of compressed gasses bruised the potato baby's stomach.

The swarm of griffins nosedived into the clearing. Jackie fired to the side to scare them off, only for them to descend even faster towards her.

A bird call made the griffins reel back from the clearing. Everyone stopped fighting at that moment. Brevon walked around the clearing, whistling through his hands, which seemed to calm the vicious lion-eagle hybrids down considerably. The griffins landed on the ground and stood in stoic fashion.

Ludo, now partially thawed, crawled to the whistle laying on the ground. Brevon picked up before Ludo even reached it.

"I'll be taking this, thank you very much," Brevon said as he placed the whistle in his coat pocket. The griffins looked on as the fights resumed.

Star rose from the ground and twirled herself in a circle. Her wand glowed a rainbow-coloured aura.

"Flaming Gummy Bear Tornado Twirl!"

Star rotated like a tornado as mounds of fiery, projectile gummy bears shot out from her wand. The gummy bears pelted everyone in the vicinity, burning and cauterizing their skin.

"Hey, I love gummy bears!" Bearicorn said as he opened his mouth. The flaming sweets sped to his mouth. He screamed as the inside of his mouth caught on fire.

"Cover me, Marco," Jackie pleaded. She wrapped her arms around Marco and snuck her head underneath his.

 _Thank you,_ Marco thought to himself. He sighed dreamily as Jackie held onto him tighter. Marco didn't notice the few flaming gummies landing on his head, setting his hair on fire.

Star drifted onto the ground. The last of the gummy bears sputtered out of her wand. Marco and Jackie caught up to her, Marco still in a dazed stupor.

Jackie surveyed the surroundings. "Wow that was…" Ludo and his minions were scattered around the clearing. Most struggled to stand back up. A few fires littered around the area, as one burning tree tumbled on top of the potato baby. "…something."

"This is just a typical Saturday," Marco said.

Star bumped her elbow onto Marco and said, "You're really taking the 3 C's to heart, aren't you?" Marco raised a confused eyebrow towards her. "You're the first person I know who can brush off being burned alive."

Marco reached his hand on top of his head, feeling the flames. His eyes widened as he dropped to the ground and rolled side-to-side.

Star blasted a blue aura on his head, extinguishing the fire. He collapsed on the ground, leaning his head back.

"Thanks for the help, Star," Brevon said, tussling her hair. "Your father would be very proud right now; he truly raised a fantastic warrior."

Star's faced beamed under the sunlight as her lips formed an uncontainable grin.

"Don't worry about the griffins and other animals, the effects from the whistle wear off quickly." Brevon pulled out the whistle from his coat pocket. "As for this little thing, I'm not gonna keep my eyes off it for the rest of my life. This thing can be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Great." Jackie took a deep breath and said, "Now, we just gotta find that pair of—"

"Oh!" Jackie and the rest turned their heads to Star, who held the scissors in her other hand. "Turns out it was in the other zipper the whole time."

* * *

Toffee sat on Ludo's throne, reading his book while resting his arm on the pile of throw pillows he placed to the side. He sipped on his piping hot cup of tea, savouring the hint of mint on top of the bold, bitter aftertaste. He paid no attention the dimensional tear as Ludo and his henchmen trudged through the portal.

They passed out on the floor when they came in. The three-eyed potato baby tried to pull the blank cartridge out of his stomach. Bearicorn stuck his tongue out, prodding the singed muscle.

Ludo crawled out of the portal as it closed on itself. Toffee stood from the throne and knelt down to the diminutive ruler.

"Tough day?"

Ludo nodded.

"You lost the whistle as well, haven't you?"

Ludo nodded again.

"That's fine," Toffee said with a shrug, "I can always get another one." He raised a hand to Ludo and helped him off the ground. "Say, do you remember where you placed the contraband rocks?"

"Break room," Ludo replied with a hoarse voice, "in the cupboard near the fridge."

"Thank you."

Toffee directed himself to the break room, stepping over the lying bodies of henchmen.

* * *

"I'm not gonna question it," Dale said as he drove his car with a manticore tied on top the sunroof. "Just make sure mom doesn't see it, okay?"

"Got it, Dale," Jackie replied while wiping the barrel of her shotgun.

Marco slouched in his seat as he prodded Star's sleepy head away from his shoulder.

"So, did everyone have a good time?"

"Yeah," Marco said, "we did. We should do this again, sometime."

Jackie snickered and said, "Well, if you wanna hang out sometime, maybe we could do something a little less dangerous, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, I'm cool with that," he said, nonchalantly. Without anyone noticing, Marco danced in his seat, while a tear of joy dripped down his eye.

Dale rolled up to the driveway and parked on the asphalt. Marco prodded Star out of sleep. They opened the car doors and stepped onto the pavement.

"Are you two sure you don't want me to drop you off home?" Dale asked.

"No, it's fine," Star said as she lifted the drowsy manticore off the sunroof.

Star and Marco hopped onto the manticore's back. It strolled into the streets.

"Bye, Jackie," Star said, waving at her. Jackie waved back before collecting the pile of guns out of the trunk.

"That went surprisingly well," Marco said.

"I know we made so much progress." Star tussled the manticore's mane. "In the span of a day, we went from barely ever talking to Jackie to being friends with Jackie."

"Yeah, that's amazing, by the end of the week, we can be at step—"

The pain of a thousand needles punctured through Marco's back. He turned around to find the manticore's tail embedded near the middle of his back.

"Star…"

"Yeah, Marco?"

"I can't feel my back."

Star turned around and saw the manticore tail stabbing Marco. "Three C's Marco. Keep thinking about the three C's" She rallied the manticore to sprint down the street. "The more you panic, the faster you start losing limbs."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 1

**Episode 6: Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 1**

 **Description: Marco gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he gets to spend the day with Jackie on 'Take Your Kids to Work Day' alone. Meanwhile, Star tries to sell houses with Mr. Diaz.**

 **Thanks to the following Betas for helping me:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
MissSlytherinxoxo**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

Officer Eddie Cordry's arms shook as he drove by the dilapidated buildings and over the cracked pavement.

He was the only person available to respond to a call about a disturbance in an abandoned apartment complex in Echo Palto; an impoverished borough outside the Greater Echo Creek area.

He sunk underneath the window when a few people turned their heads over to his police car. When he made it to the apartment building, Cordry parked his cruiser in broad daylight. He clicked the lock button twice out of safety.

A bush by Cordry's foot rustled. Reflexively, his hand wrapped around his pistol. A racoon popped out and scurried to the alley. He sighed as he holstered his weapon.

Inside the building, the floor was relatively spotless. Last time he came here, it was littered with piles of garbage and the occasional used needle. Granted, the wallpaper peeled off the wall, but at least he could walk freely on the cleaned-up floor.

In the 2nd floor, many of the apartment doors were opened, revealing no occupants in any of them. A glimmer of light flared underneath the door of the room at the end of the hallway. Cordry steadied his jerky, shaky strides as he approached the other side. He breathed in through his nose, clenching his sweaty palm into a fist.

He knocked on the door and announced, "Open up, it's the police." Cordry pounded the door. "Open up!"

A young man draped in a decorative robe opened the door.

"Good afternoon, sir," he said, tying a piece of cloth over his forehead, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

After a false start, Cordry cleared his throat. "Officer Cordry here, I've been hearing reports of disturbances and suspicious activity from this building. Do you mind if I come in?"

"Well, I don't see why not, come on in."

Cordry plodded into the room, stepping over various piles of scrap metal and electronics scattered around.

"Can I have a name, sir?" Cordry asked.

"Oh, excuse me, where are my manners? The name's Percival Leopold Middleton the 3rd, but I reckon Percy will do."

"Right…" Cordry tripped over an inconspicuous toaster into a pile of scrap metal. Percy rushed to the officer and carried him up.

"I'm so sorry officer, I haven't been cleaning up recently." Percy shoved a pile of mashed-up electronics next to the wall. "Feel free to move around anything, if you feel uncomfortable."

Cordry meandered around the room, moving the piles out of the way. Something prodded his foot. He looked down and saw a small robotic figure poking his shin with a teddy bear paw. Cordry picked up and inspected it in greater detail. The robot was composed of a mixture of teddy bear and mechanical parts. He noticed the robot's arms; one was drawn from a teddy bear, while the other was a metallic, black robot arm.

Percy turned his attention over to Cordry and chuckled as the robot flailed its arms at the sight of him.

"Careful with the munchkins, they're fairly fragile." Cordry set the little robot down. It failed to maintain balance, almost tripping over itself. "So, what exactly do you mean by disturbance, officer?"

"Recently, we've been receiving complaints from people in the area about 'loud noises' and 'screaming' from this part of the borough." Cordry watched the munchkin attempt to steady itself on its robot and teddy foot. "There have also been reports of people missing in this area, all linked to you?"

Percy motioned his arms in a combination of a wave and a shrug. "Well, I ain't hear about no missin' people here, but I apologize for the racket I've been causing." He walked to the table on the other side of the room, picking up a blow torch. He twisted the knob on the bottom of the torch. A blue flame rushed out the top. "When you're focused on fixing things up, you tend to not pay attention to the noise." The flame pressed on the crease between two pieces of metal, welding them together. "I'll try my best to keep quiet at night. It's only fair, right?"

Cordry saw the shadow of the flame casted on the ceiling and asked, "Whatcha working on there?"

"Nothin' important," Percy said, turning off the blow torch. "You must have come a long way to get here, how's about I get you a glass of water. I've gotten the water working again, and it came out fairly clean, so no need to worry about any illnesses."

Cordry shrugged.

"I'll be right back."

The officer walked up to the work bench. He examined the objects littered across the table. On the side, two pieces of metal scraps were welded together. In the middle, there were two different models of guns still in the designing phase, judging by the hollow insides. Cordry picks up the blow torch. He noticed the Echo Creek Academy insignia and name plastered on the bottom of the torch.

Cordry remembered a recent theft reported from the school.

"Here ya go officer, one glass of relatively clean water. I would put ice on it, but I haven't gotten the ice maker to work yet."

"Sir, do you mind telling me why you have possession of Echo Creek Academy property?"

Percy turned to the officer and spotted him carrying the blow torch.

"Oh, well, I just sorta found it when I was rummaging through this place."

Cordry squinted his eyes onto Percy, evaluating the apartment and the stockpiles of electronics.

"Really?" Cordry asked, tilting his head to the side. "This looks like a brand new blow torch." He put on a sense of false bravado, wiping the sweat from his brow while leaning his body close to Percy. "This isn't something you would find, rummaging around a junkyard."

Something metallic peaked out of Percy's cloak. "What exactly are you trying to insinuate here, officer?"

"Me? Insinuating? Well, nothing really. Do you mind if we head down to the station together, to have a little—"

A mechanical arm popped out of Percy's cloak. It clutched its hand around Percy's neck. Cordry gasped for air.

"Excuse me for being a little brash here, but I would prefer to stay at home, if you don't mind." Percy placed the glass of water on the table and dragged the officer to the other room. He showed him the machine pressed against the wall. "I've gotten used to this place, and I don't enjoy being forced out my home, I've had enough of that. Now, I might have fibbed earlier, I do know about the recent disappearances." Percy grabbed Cordry by the back of the neck and slammed his face next to the chamber door. "I don't want to add you to the list of disappearances, so don't force my hand, Cordry."

The officer whimpered as Percy released his grip.

"Now, if there's nothing else of interest for you, I'll be happy to walk you out the door," Percy said, reaching a hand out to the officer. He helped Cordry up and together they walked to the exit. A munchkin slammed its tiny fists on the door. Percy picked up the tiny robot and opened the door for Cordry. "Good-bye now, have a pleasant evening." Percy slammed the door shut.

The munchkin reached out for the door, wailing against Percy's grip.

"Silly munchkin, dinner's in the kitchen, not outside," Percy said with a hearty laugh.

* * *

"And in 1917, the Russians pulled out of WW1 because of other obligations at home," Miss Skullnick said to an inattentive class. "It's funny, because that's the same reason Ricky left me at the altar."

The sounds of a ringing bell blared through the school. Everyone hopped out of their desks.

"Don't forget, tomorrow is 'Take your Kids to Work day', no classes tomorrow." Skullnick pulled out a bottle of blue nail polish and applied it on her toenails. She inspected the bottle, reading the instructions printed on the side. "To instantly dry, flash UV light directly onto the applied area."

Marco closed the classroom door behind him. He waved a hand to Ferguson, who walked the other way.

"What kind of obligation would lead you to leave 'The Great War'?" Star asked.

"Well, you know, a revolution."

"Oh."

Star and Marco waved as Jackie skated past them. Jackie swivelled back to the two, dragging herself to a stop.

"Hey B-fly, hey Marco." Jackie popped her skateboard up and held it by her side. "Marco, how's the manticore anti-venom working?"

Marco lifted his arm up in the air. "I can raise my hand again, so that's nice."

"Oh yeah, before I forget"—Star pulled out a syringe and bottle from her bag—"take off your sweater Marco, we have about one minute before your arm starts rotting again."

Marco unzipped his hoodie and pulled the sleeve of his shirt to his shoulder. A blackened vein pulsated on his biceps. A few onlookers ran, holding their puke in. He sighed.

"There we go," Star said as she pressed the syringe. The vein receded and disappeared into Marco's skin. "If I did that right, and I know I did because my mom had to do the same thing to me when I got stung by a manticore tail… you should be okay now."

"Sweet." Marco flailed his illness-free arm in the air.

Star, Marco and Jackie sauntered by crowds of students, some loitering around their lockers while others were walking to the exit. Star overheard various tidbits of other people talking about their parent's jobs.

"What is everyone talking about?" Star asked.

"Tomorrow is 'Take your Kids to Work Day'," Marco said, "so everyone is trying to figure where they're going."

"Is this another of your 'Earth-Holidays'?"

"Not exactly," Jackie replied, "every year, all the schools do this thing where kids spend a day at work with their parents." She placed her board on the ground and rode it on the pavement. "Basically, you spend the entire day shadowing your parents or any adult at their work."

Star's eyes lit up, "Does that mean we get to miss school?"

"Yeah," Jackie said, "but I'd rather be going to school than spend a day at the station with Dale. I swear, he's the only person I know that can turn policing into the most boring thing ever."

"You think that's bad?" Marco asked. "You haven't experienced true agony until you've spent the day selling houses with my dad."

"Oh yeah, I remember passing by you on last year's work day."

Marco face paled as his eyes opened wide. "Don't remind me.

* * *

Marco stood by the entrance to a street of finished houses. The black mariachi suit tightened around his body as he twirled his sign in a circle. His accompanying hat barely provided any shade.

"Todo el mundo es bienvenido a la casa abierta Díaz Familia." Marco forced a clenched, painful smile.

"More energy, Marco!" Mr. Diaz screamed through the megaphone.

Marco clenched his jaw while swearing in Spanish underneath his breath.

"Todo el mundo es bienvenido—"

"Marco?"

Marco scurried into the bush when he saw Jackie and Janna in the backseat of a police cruiser.

* * *

"The life of a sign-boy is one of misery and humiliation."

"How about you guys come to the station tomorrow?" Jackie asked. "Dale's cool with me bringing more people in, as long as they're not Janna."

Marco chuckled. "What'd she do?"

"Remember that news story last year about the maniac who stole a police car?"

"Oh yeah," Marco said. "How does she keep stealing people's keys?"

Jackie shrugged. At an intersection, Marco and Star waited at the stop sigh while Jackie swerved to the right. "Text me if you can come."

Star and Marco waved as Jackie skated farther into the horizon.

"Alright, I like the progress Marco," Star said, twirling her wand in the air. "But is Mr. Diaz fine with you ditching him?"

Marco rolled his eyes up in thought. "Yeah, he should be. Oh, careful Star, broken glass"—Marco lifted the princess over the pile of shards with ease, as he shuffled around the outskirts of the pile—"He may be a little eccentric but he's a reasonable guy."

* * *

The Diaz's and Star sat around the dinner table. Star preoccupied herself by fiddling around with her vegetables. Marco was in the middle of convincing his dad to let him spend the day at the station.

"No, Marco," Mr. Diaz said.

Marco flailed his arms in front of him. "Dad, you're being unreasonable."

"You can't go, Marco." Mr. Diaz grabbed Marco by the collar and stared deep into his eyes. "You're the reason I attract so many potential buyers. I need you, Marco!"

Mrs. Diaz gently pulled her husband's grip from Marco. "Raphael, you shouldn't force Marco to stay for your own selfish needs." She stared at the whimpering mass of muscles, and couldn't help but sigh. "Marco needs a new, exciting experience. He might not want to be a realtor. I say he goes with Jackie and her father—"

"Stepfather."

"—stepfather and see what police life entails."

"Well, you have a point, Angie," Mr. Diaz said, "but who's going to help me out tomorrow for open houses?"

Star's froze in place and perked her ears towards Mr. Diaz.

"Who's someone that can attract attention?"

The excitable princess boosted her arms and yelled, "Me, Me!" The floor shook as Star bounced on her chair. "I'm really good at attracting attention."

Mr. Diaz turned to Star. "I like your enthusiasm. But are you sure you want to spend the day without Marco?"

"Yeah, you two seem inseparable," Mrs. Diaz said.

Star and Marco turned their eyes to each other before looking back at Mr. Diaz.

"Its fine, Mr. Diaz." Star peered closer to Marco's parents. "Marco needs the 1-on-1 time with Jackie, if you know what I mean."

Mr. Diaz turned his eyes to Marco and back to Star. "Oh, I see." He snuck a wink straight to Marco, who tried to hide himself by covering his face. "Well then, it's settled. Get Dale to pick you up in the morning around eight, and you Star; get some sleep because we will be leaving early in the morning."

"Sounds good, Mr. Diaz." Star grinded the meat off the bone and teared the flank off her pork chop.

Marco carefully sliced the last bit of meat off the bone.

* * *

Marco opened his closet. He pulled out a copious number of red hoodies, and stacked them into a pile.

"What are you looking for, Marco," Star asked, bouncing on his bed.

"The Mariachi suit, dad asked me to find it earlier this morning." Marco sensed something resembling black fabric and pulled it out from the closet. "I was supposed to wear it for tomorrow, but since you're doing open houses, you'll probably need it more." He held the mariachi suit far away from him. Dried-up sweat and neglect drifted underneath his nose, making him gag. "Star, catch."

On her last bounce, Star somersaulted mid-air and swung her body to the floor, landing on both feet. Star stretched her arms out, catching the suit in the air. The stench from Marco's clothes made the bile rise to her mouth.

"Yeah, you might want to wash that"—the smell wafted underneath his nose once more—"twice, at least."

"Gotcha." Star shot a ray of blue light from her wand onto the suit. It vanished.

"Uh…"

"It's in my room."

Marco shrugged. He passed out on his bed, sinking his head into his pillow.

"You know, you don't have to suffer the entire day with my dad if you don't want to," Marco suggested. "You can just come hang with me and Jackie. She invited you."

The wand wedged itself underneath Star's mouth, as she gnawed on the head. Her eyes pointed upwards as she considered the thought.

"Nah, I'll be okay," Star said. "Besides, it's best if you two got some alone time together."

Marco lifted his head up and turned his attention to the princess.

"She's your future girlfriend Marco, not mine. If you ever want to have a relationship with Jackie, you have to start getting comfortable spending time alone with her. I can't be there to prod a conversation every time, you know."

"Yeah, you're right," Marco said, collapsing on the pillow and turning his head to the side. "With my luck, I feel like I'm just gonna mess up and say something stupid. And everything we've done 'til now will be pointless."

Star launched into the air with a blast to the ground, landing in front of Marco. "Don't be like that, Marco." She sat next to Marco and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "You've learned so much, in a short time. Even if you don't get Jackie, you can get a date with anyone else."

Marco smirked."Yeah, I guess…"

"Remember the three things I taught you?"

"Say it with confidence."

"That's one…"

"Follow the three C's"

"Two…"

"And don't try too hard."

"And there's three." Star began to march out the door, seemingly satisfied with her work. "If you can stay awake through Skullnick's classes, you can get a date with Jackie."

"I think you're the first person to put this much faith in me," Marco said with a chuckle.

"Eh." Star closed the door behind her. She pulled out her cellphone and texted Jackie that she won't be coming the station tomorrow.

* * *

Star Butterfly flew into the vast, empty sky on her giant Pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. She tapped the pony with her heel. It blasted straight forward, doubling its speed as it rushed towards the twinkling stars. A pair of stereos materialized behind her. It blared out the _Space Unicorn_ Song as Star and her Pegasus companion flew across the planets, the stars, and even a comet or two. Star's eyes widened as the lights in the galaxy shined to the princess herself. The universe stretched beyond the horizon, into an infinite distance.

A familiar face rose from nothing.

"Time to get up, Star!"

Star yelped as her eyes cracked open. Her spasms tossed the blanket in the air. Instead of staring into the infinite cosmos, Star recognised her bedroom and Mr. Diaz in the middle, holding a megaphone. The blanket landed on top of her head. She passed out in her cashmere pillows.

"Wakey, wakey, Star!" Mr. Diaz shouted through his megaphone. She turned to her bed stand where the alarm clock read 4:32 am.

"Mr. Diaz, it's only… 4:30." She yawned as her eyelids shifted downwards.

Mr. Diaz jumped onto her bed, bobbling her. "Which means we only have about 3 hours to clean the show house and wash your suit."

Star rolled out of bed and crashed onto the floor. She groaned as she forced herself up off the ground.

The princess didn't know how she ended up sitting on the table with a plate of syrup-drenched pancakes in front of her. She passed out, slamming her head into the pile of pancakes. Thick maple syrup covered her hair and clumped it into matted tufts.

Mrs. Diaz walked up to Star with a glass of rainbow-coloured liquid. She moved Star's head around to face her and stretched her mouth open.

The taste of candy spurred Star out of her slumber.

"Better?"

"A little…" Star forced a yawn out of her breath. "It's not as effective as the first time I drank… whatever that is."

"Good enough for me." Mrs. Diaz stared at the mashed up mess on the plate. "Here, let me get you a new plate." She grabbed Star's plate of pancakes and shoved them into the garbage bin. She poured pancake batter onto the griddle. The smell of sizzling batter emanated through the air.

Star watched Mr. Diaz shoveled down the last pancake from his plate before pushing the plate aside. "So, Mr. Diaz, what's the plan for today?"

"First, we clean the show house from top to bottom," Mr. Diaz said. "Every corner needs to be swept, I don't want to see a single crumb in my sight. Next, we have to…"

Mr. Diaz's words blended into a cacophony of noise; it was almost hypnotic as Star's eyes began to falter and she struggled to maintain her composure.

"… And you'll be standing outside for the next six or so hours."

"What?" Star perked up at once.

"As sign girl, your main job is to attract visitors and future homeowners. I'll show you how to do the sign twirl, and that's all you have to do. Marco perfected the technique, so you have a lot to prove today."

Star clenched her teeth. "I won't let you down, Mr. Diaz."

"Wonderful!" Mr. Diaz got up and pushed his chair in. "Finish your breakfast, then take a shower. Try on the suit first, it might be a little tight." He rushed upstairs.

Mrs. Diaz set a fresh plate of pancakes on the table. "Eat up, Star."

"Thank you, Mrs. Diaz." Star lifted a pancake with her fork and swallowed it whole.

 _All I have to do is spin a sign around,_ Star thought. _Simple enough._

Mrs. Diaz turned on the radio. A catchy jingle played before a suave-sounding weather man began speaking.

"The heat wave has finally hit Echo Creek. Expect a high of 97 today, with humidex values reaching from 105 to 108…"

Star gazed upon her unfinished plate of pancakes. She remembered the thickness of the suit fabric.

"Yup, it's gonna be a hot one Echo Creek, so dress lightly folks."

Star considered texting Jackie to tell her that she changed her mind.

* * *

By the time Marco woke up, Star and his parents had already left. He went about the morning, brushing his teeth and taking a shower. Marco waited by the steps to the door.

He looked back inside, to see the plate of pancakes his mom cooked up, untouched.

Marco's foot twitched on the pavement steps as he pulled up his phone. He turned it on, and the time changed from 8:00 am to 8:01 am. He stared down both sides of the street; Jackie and her stepdad didn't appear on either side. With his phone in hand, Marco considered texting her. When he scrolled up through the dozens of messages he'd sent in the last five minutes alone, he decided not to text her.

Another ten minutes passed before Marco plucked his phone out.

 _I guess dad has to pick me up now_ he thought.

The sound of a police wail blared through the neighbourhood as a police cruiser parked in front of Marco's driveway. Marco covered his ears when a megaphone emitted harsh feedback.

"Put the phone down and put your hands in the air."

Marco dropped the phone and raised his arms towards the sky. A young, clean-shaven officer stepped out of the car and trudged towards him.

"Turn around, keep your hands where I can see them." Marco complied as the officer slipped on a pair of hand cuffs on him. The officer dragged him across the driveway. He opened the passenger door and threw Marco inside the cruiser.

"Hey, Marco," Jackie greeted, also handcuffed yet reacting nonplussed about the entire situation.

"What's going on? Am I being detained?"

"We're taking you down to the station…"

"To show you a day as a police officer," the man in the driver's seat said. He turned around as Marco recognised Dale's scruffy beard. Dale pointed to the man fastening his seatbelt. "This here is my partner, Officer Eddie Cordry."

"Nice to meet you, Marco." Cordry reached his arm out to Marco.

"Uh"—Marco batted his eyes to the cuffs—"I can't really reach my hands out."

"Oh, right," Cordry said as he reeled his hand back.

Dale shifted the stick-shift to reverse, moving the car back. "Diaz, how do the cuffs feel?"

"Is it supposed to chafe my wrists?" Marco asked as his wrists tightened.

"I like to call this part of the day, 'the prisoner's welcome'. This is to show the arrest process to teenagers. It's something that everyone needs to know."

"Shouldn't you have read my Miranda rights before you cuffed me?"

Cordry looked back at Marco, then turned to the windshield. Neither officer answered.

"This will probably be the most interesting part of the day, Marco," Jackie said, shifting her arms around her back.

Marco noticed the hairclip Jackie held as she struggled to push it into the keyhole.

"Press it into the hole, and turn it," Marco whispered. The cuffs opened, loosening its grip around her wrists. She caressed the cuff marks on her wrist.

"Thanks, Marco." Jackie shot Marco a smile.

"Don't mention it," Marco said, eyeing to the side with a grin. "Pass it to me."

Jackie slipped the clip behind her back. She hid both arms behind her back.

"Thanks," Marco said, fiddling with the hair clip. "By the way, if you got a bunch of messages this morning, my phone glitched out and resent the same message a hundred times."

Jackie tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Right…"

The cuffs loosened around Marco's wrist. He opened his mouth, but closed it again when something rose from his stomach. He laid back on the leather upholstery with a deep sigh.

"Marco, stop shaking the car."

He opened his eyes and noticed his foot twitching against the floor. The foot stopped twitching at once.

* * *

 **If you ever get curious as to how the story is progressing in terms of writing, check my profile to see what's been finished and what I'm currently doing. Right now, part 2 has begun.**

 **Leave a review if you wish.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	12. Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 2

**This was a long chapter, so I had to split it in two parts.**

 **Episode 6: Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 2**

 **Description: Marco gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he gets to spend the day with Jackie on 'Take Your Kids to Work Day' alone. Meanwhile, Star tries to sell houses with Mr. Diaz.**

 **Thanks to the following Betas for helping me:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
Another friend of mine**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

Marco and Jackie wrapped their cuffs around their hands as the officers opened up the passenger doors. The officers pulled them out the car and prodded them into the station entrance.

"Hi, Jackie," one of the officers said, as he loitered at the entrance

"Hey, Jackie," another said

"Jackie, glad you found a new boyfriend so soon."

Jackie spun and faced the officer. "He's not my boyfriend."

"He better not be," Dale threatened. "Not that I have a problem with that, I just don't like surprises."

A bead of sweat dripped off the side of Marco's forehead.

The four entered the precinct; the officers held the doors for the bound teenagers. An elderly woman behind plexiglass waved to the group. Dale led the kids into the lobby, while Cordry went up to the woman. They waited in front of a wooden-framed door with a card reader at the top of the handle.

"On the other side of that door, is the heart of Echo Creek," Dale said. "Inside, the most dedicated police officers work day-and-night, helping citizens, keeping them safe from the dangers that lurk this fair city. It's the epitome—"

"Dale, it's just the department."

"—no Jackie, it's the epitome of justice and security."

Jackie rolled her eyes.

Cordry whistled for their attention, holding up two laminated cards. "Dale, I got the visitor passes."

"Alright, Eddie. Put them on our guests and the day can finally start."

Dale pulled out a plastic card and swiped it through the reader. He snap-kicked the door open. Part of the wood frame splintered on the wall, breaking the hinge from the door.

"Come on Dale, we just replaced that last week."

Marco took in his surroundings, noting the similarities to an office setting with the abundance of cubicles.

"Everybody, meet our two little prisoners for the day—"

"Emphasis on prisoner," Jackie whispered to Marco.

"—you guys remember my step-daughter, Jackie"

"Hi, Jackie," everyone said in unison.

Dale grabbed Marco by his sweater and pulled the boy in front of him. "This is Marco, he's a friend of Jackie's"

"Hi, Marco."

"Make sure they're comfy and welcome, these kids may one day have their own badges and they'll be the ones protecting us when we're all older." Dale posed with his chest puffed out and both hands on his hips.

"Dale"—He turned to face Jackie—"Can you take the cuffs now? They're starting to chafe,"

Dale took his keys and unlocked the cuffs from around Marco and Jackie's wrists.

"Now that we've gotten through the prisoner's experience, we can start by taking a tour—"

A petite woman shuffled up to the burly sergeant, pushing her thick-brimmed glasses against the bridge of her nose. "Sir, you're late for the conference."

"Oh shoot, I keep forgetting about those." Dale tried to improvise something. He looked back at Cordry, who preoccupied himself with his cellphone. "Eddie, take these kids on a tour of the station. I got some bureaucratic crap to attend to." He walked off to the right. "Don't worry guys, I'll be back soon enough."

Cordry stared at the two teenagers standing in front of him. They looked back.

"Okay guys, I have a lot on my mind right now and you guys are old enough to look after yourselves, right?" Marco and Jackie nodded. "Good. Jackie, you basically know this place inside out, so show your friend around the station. Stay out of restricted areas and be back here in an hour." Cordry turned away from the pair, clutching his forehead. "I've got to reconsider my career."

Jackie strung Marco along and led him to the other side, past all the cubicles. "Most of the exciting stuff happens on the other side of this door. Unless you consider looking through files exciting."

She opened the door for Marco, motioning for him to walk through first. Jackie closed the door behind her.

"So, Marco, where do you want to go?" Jackie asked.

Marco stood still, wrapping his thumb and index finger underneath his chin. "I kinda wanna see the inside of the evidence room, but I don't think we're allowed."

"Well no, we're not"—Jackie pulled out a ring of keys from her pockets, shaking them in front of Marco's eyes—"but the only thing stopping us from getting in is a lock."

"How did you—"

"The trick is to tap underneath the palm to make them release it."

* * *

"Okay, now the floor should be spotless," Star said, wiping the sweat off her brow. "I've triple checked to see if I missed anything, and I can't see anything."

"There's a black spot near the sofa." Mr. Diaz pointed to a tiny speck on the wooden floor.

Star glared at Mr. Diaz before levitating a wet mop over the spot. Next, she hovered a used towel over the bit of dirt, swishing it around on the floor until nothing remained. Star slid her feet across the floor, feeling nothing underneath.

"Better?"

"Much," Mr. Diaz replied.

She looked around the now spotless room. The coffee table standing on top the immaculate pashmina rug had its items arranged with a balance between tidy, yet casual and natural.

Mr. Diaz analysed the red coat of paint on the wall, running his right-index finger across to see if anything stained it.

Star almost slumped on the black leather couch as Mr. Diaz pulled her up before she landed on the leather seating.

"Star, I just tidied that couch up."

She hopped away from the couch. "Sorry, Mr. Diaz."

"Oh, I didn't mean to snap at you, Star." Mr. Diaz cupped his mouth with his hand. "Everything needs to be neat and tidy; for the best first impression."

Star chuckled under her breath. "I can see where Marco gets his near-obsessive tidiness."

"Well, the first thing I ever taught my son was how to make the best first impression." Mr. Diaz surveyed the room one more time. "I think this is a good impression. I'll be right back," he said as he sprinted up the staircase, leaving Star alone in the living room.

Star assessed the entirety of the room, pointing her wand at the floral curtains in the back of the room. A shot of reddish-pink light transformed the design into a simple light pink silk with a black, floral overlay on top. Admiring her work, Star gave an assenting nod and smile. She turned around when the sound of loud, banging steps near the staircase.

"I got it"—Mr. Diaz drifted his feet on the hardwood floor. He stared down—"it's a good thing I waxed the floor yesterday. Anyways…" He tossed the mariachi suit to Star. "I've made a few changes to the suit, it should fit you a little better. Angie is upstairs, she can help you put it on."

"Or I can do this"—Star raised her wand up—"Instantia Transfomicus!"

With a flash of light, clouds of smoke burst from the tip of the wand, sending Mr. Diaz into a coughing fit.

Star pulled her fist back victoriously. "Finally, I got the spell right without burning anything." She noticed Mr. Diaz analysing her attire. She tipped her red sombrero to the side. "What do you think, Mr. Diaz?" Star adjusted the red bow, along with the rest of her coat.

"I like it!" Mr. Diaz said. "The suit fits you well."

"Thanks, Mr. Diaz." Star lifted her long skirt. "I don't remember Marco ever wearing this long thing."

"Oh, Angie made a few adjustments to the pants. I don't know how she does it."

Star checked out her skirt a few more times, spinning it around. When she looked up, Mr. Diaz signaled her to follow him.

"Come on, we have to practice the sign twirling."

Star followed him outside. The suit fabric melded onto Star's skin as soon as she walked outside.

* * *

Jackie switched to the next key when the brass-copper one failed to fit inside the keyhole of the evidence room.

"Aren't there security cameras in there?" Marco asked?

"Oh yeah." Jackie pulled a laser pen out her pocket, pressing her back against the wall and pointing the pen through the window. "There, I think I hit the camera. That should disable it. They really need to hide them better."

Marco stared at the camera through the tiny rectangular window, blinking his eyes rapidly. "You know, I expected this kind of thing from Janna, not you."

"We kinda enable each other when it comes to trouble making," Jackie said, fiddling around with the stack of stolen keys. "I'm just a lot more careful." No matter how many times she tried to jam it in, the small, misshaped key would not fit through the hole. Jackie pulled up the key that stood out from the ring; a long silver-coloured one with little rust. The key slipped into the hole perfectly.

"Wouldn't someone come here, after wondering why one of the camera feeds turned to static?"

"Well, Ralph usually takes his naps around this time, so he won't be checking for another hour or so. And by the time we're gone, the department would assume it's just faulty wiring and will probably just replace the cameras the next day." Jackie fiddled around with the key inside the hole. "So long as we don't tamper with the important stuff, we're good" She rotated the key and unlocked the door. "I got it." She turned the knob –kicking the clamped up door—opening up to a room filled to the brim with collected evidence and confiscated contraband.

"Whoa." Marco wandered through the room, finding marked boxes through rows of shelves that lined the room.

Jackie locked the door behind them. She took in her surroundings. "It's been a while since I've been in here." Jackie put a hand on Marco's shoulder when he peered too close to the shelves on the left. "Don't touch those Marco, those boxes contain evidence for the serious cases."

Marco backed away, lifting his hands defensively.

Jackie faced the shelves on the right. "Follow me, I'll show you the really interesting stuff."

Marco followed her to the other side of the room. A wide smile formed on Marco's face, when he saw the items overflowing from the boxes. Piles of unmarked bills littered the shelf. With Jackie's approval, he picked up one of the boxes.

He lifted the box's cover, revealing a mountain of firecrackers inside. "I've never seen most of these brands of fireworks before."

"What?" Jackie turned her head over to Marco, then let out a light laugh. "Oh yeah, I remember those things. I think it was last year's work day, Janna and I snuck off to hang out with a bunch of Russian kids and we set off a lot of those. But Dale had to ruin it." She picked up one of the larger canisters from the box. "I'm keeping this though."

Jackie pulled out another box, from the shelf, and opened the lid. When she looked inside, her eyes popped out wide, and a twinge of red shaded across her cheeks. She closed it immediately and shoved it back on the shelf.

"What's in the—"

"It's not appropriate," Jackie blurted out.

Marco shrugged as he continued to rummage through the box of firecrackers. He dug up a toy pistol from the bottom. He examined the gun before tossing it back with a sigh of indifference.

Jackie brought down another box from the top of the shelf. She opened it up to find a CD case labelled 'Limited Edition'.

"Whoa, is that"–Marco's hand brushed against Jackie's—"Oh, didn't see your hand there…" He jerked his hand away from the box, clutching it with his other hand. For a moment, his limbs weakened as his mind filled with fuzzy thoughts of love.

"No, no, it's cool," Jackie said, her lips forming a grin as she forced herself to hold back a chuckle.

Marco shifted his thoughts away from Jackie, by examining the cover; it was a 4-panel frame, with each panel having a portrait of people in absurd clothing and colourful hair. "Is this the long lost Monkeyz EP?"

"You know the Monkeyz?"

"What? Yeah, they're like, my favourite alt-rock band from the early 2000s." Marco picked up the case and dusted it off. "Only 100 of these EPs exist in the world."

Jackie held her hands out for the case, to which Marco happily obliged to hand over. She turned the album over to the other side, only to find a track listing of all the songs. "I've never listened to half these songs." Her eyes drifted towards Marco. "I need to listen to this, right now. Hey Marco, do you happen to have… a CD-player or something?"

"No, not exactly," he said as he took out his phone. "But, I can burn the disk onto my phone. I just need a computer, and…" Marco shifted through his pockets, finding a cable adapter. "Yup, I just need a computer."

"Sweet, we can just go to Dale's office he's cool with me on his computer and"—Jackie looked at her watch, noticing the time flew by fast. "Crap, we better get back, Dale's expecting us." She grabbed Marco by the wrist. "Let's go, Marco."

That grab of the wrist was the closest Jackie ever got to holding Marco's hand.

* * *

Star fought against the heat, as her suit congealed into a blanket of sweat. She stood in the path leading towards the street of houses. A twinge of pain shot through her arms as she twirled the cardboard arrow. Her sombrero did nothing to protect her against the clear sky, where the beating sun shone down onto the princess. She looked to her side, a dozen empty water bottles strewn across the pavement. When she brought her arm up to wipe her forehead, the drenched fabric had actually moistened her forehead further, instead of drying it.

Cars rolled down the road, barely paying attention to the girl. With the last of her strength, she tossed the sign up in the air. Her entire body gave out and she passed out on the ground. The arrow knocked Star on the head. She barely mustered a stone-faced expression.

"Well, if it isn't Star Butterfly." Star raised her head to see a sneering Brittney Wong and her posse of cheerleaders. "Seems like you're enjoying the heat."

"Oh, you know it Brittney." Star forced out a laugh, but the humidity morphed it into a cough.

"Here"—Brittney pulled out a purple bottle, filled to the brim with water, out her handbag—"you should really drink up, you wouldn't want to get heat stroke. Let me take a sip first."

Star limped her arm up, watching Brittney unload the entire bottle right in front of her.

Brittney sighed as she set the bottle down with a sardonic grin. "You can have the rest now." She tossed the empty bottle beside Star. The princess's only response was a wailing moan. "Let's go girls, daddy's waiting in the _air-conditioned_ house.

The squad of girls entered the neighbourhood, leaving the dehydrated Star to rot under the sun. A familiar girl with a brunette ponytail lagged behind the group. She dropped a full water bottle in front of Star.

"You probably need it a lot more than me," Sabrina said, as she turned around to catch up with the rest of the group.

Star extended her limp arms to the water bottle, struggling against the stickiness from her moistened clothes to pick it up. She crushed the bottle, popping the lid as a stream of water splashed onto her face.

Whether it was sweat or tears of happiness, Star smiled in relief when Mr. Diaz finally came out the house; his client by his side.

"Rafael, I'm a man of standards and I don't just throw away money for nothing." The client pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. "I'll lease ten houses right now."

"Sounds like a deal, Mr. Wong." Mr. Diaz bent down to the client's height and grabbed his relatively miniscule hand, shaking it repeatedly.

"Easy, there," Mr. Wong said as he stepped away from Mr. Diaz. His attention turned to the mob of teenaged girls waiting in front of him. "Ah, girls, sorry for the wait."

"Let's go, Daddy," Brittney commanded.

"In a minute, sweetie. Okay girls, now that I've finished my daily errands, who wants a preview of the new Hexon supermall?"

The crowd of girls bellowed a cacophony of cheering and excitement. Mr. Wong whistled into the air as a massive limousine drove up to him. "Come on girls, I think they've filled the water slide already." Everyone stuffed themselves into the limo as it veered back onto the road.

"Great work, Star," Mr. Diaz said as he walked up to her. "Just a few more hours and…" He looked to the ground to see a comatose Star in a sweat-laden mariachi suit. "Oh, no."

Star forced herself to lift her head to Mr. Diaz. "Did I do well, Mr. Diaz?"

"Yes, Star. You did well." He picked her off the ground, wiping his hand on his pants. The rays of sun beamed down on Mr. Diaz's neck. "Let's go back inside, you're not gonna survive the rest of the day outside."

Star shook her head with a frown.

They walked side-by-side through the row of houses. "How am I gonna attract people to come here now? I could try on the suit…"

Star looked up to an empty billboard across the road. She pointed her wand to the billboard. A beam of light shot out from her wand. A picture of Mr. Diaz pointing to the neighbourhood plastered on the board; the words 'Open House' stood beside the face, written in bold capital letters.

Mr. Diaz glanced at his likeness on the billboard. "That's right, I forgot you can control magic." He stood still for a moment, examining the billboard, as well as the rest of the houses. "What else can you do with that wand?"

Star smirked as the star insignia on her wand glowed, she said, "Give me thirty minutes and a bottle of water, Mr. Diaz." Her suit still clamped onto her skin. "Also, maybe another fifteen for a shower."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading**


	13. Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 3

**Episode 6: Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 3**

 **Description: Marco gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he gets to spend the day with Jackie on 'Take Your Kids to Work Day' alone. Meanwhile, Star tries to sell houses with Mr. Diaz.**

 **Thanks to the following Betas for helping me:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
Another friend of mine**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

The surrounding neighbourhoods around Echo Creek Academy are rather safe and uninteresting; aside from the occasional stolen bike, no crime ever happens in this affluent, suburban district.

Dale looked through his binoculars for any signs of trouble. Beforehand, he had spent over twenty minutes finding the perfect inconspicuous parking spot in the area. "We need to remain vigilant and stealthy," he told the other passengers.

The other passengers in the cruiser preoccupied themselves with other things. In the passenger seat, Cordry had his phone out, tapping the screen incessantly. Marco and Jackie sat in the back, as Marco attempted to say something meaningful.

"So uh, remind me what we're doing here?" Marco questioned.

Dale brought his binoculars down and turned his head to the back. "We're on patrol for criminal scum." He returned the binoculars to his eyes, looking down the surrounding parks and sidewalks. "They come in all different shapes and sizes. As an officer of the law, I swore an oath to protect the citizens of the city from harm."

"There he goes again, being all overly melodramatic," Jackie whispered to Marco, stretching her stiff neck.

"Well, at least he's taking his job seriously."

Jackie shrugged. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a struggle between two people off to the side. A man perched himself on top of an old lady, pulling her purse away. "Hey, there's something going on over there," she said, pointing to the left. "We should—"

A skater with no helmet caught Dale's attention. "Eddie, we got another one fifty-three in the area, repeat, we got another one fifty-three."

Cordry and Jackie slammed their hands to their foreheads.

"What's a 153?" Marco asked.

"Its code for 'Skater with no helmet'," Jackie replied. "So stupid."

Dale turned the ignition and floored it down the street. "Safety is not stupid, Jackie." He turned the sirens on; blaring them through the neighbourhood. "It's his responsibility to send a message to all the young kids about staying safe. It's my duty as an officer to remind him." The car stopped beside the skater. "Stay right where you are, and put your hands in the—"

The skater tossed his board to the side and sprinted down the street.

"Hey, come back here!" Dale got out the car and pulled out his baton, running after him.

"Ed, I saw someone getting robbed near the school," Jackie said. "I'd check that out if I were you."

"Got it." Cordry shifted over to the driver seat and turned the sirens off. "Go catch up on your stepdad and make sure he doesn't hurt the poor kid."

"Noted." Marco and Jackie left the cruiser. In an instant, they sprinted in Dale's general direction. By the time they caught up to her stepdad, the skater laid on his stomach while Dale sat on top of his back.

"Thought you could outrun a cop, eh?" Dale buckled his legs against the boy's squirming body. The skater grew desperate and clawed the pavement. The burly officer pressed his body further into the boy's back.

"I swear, they must have planted it in my locker, I didn't—"

"I don't need to hear your excuses." Dale pulled out a notepad and pen, and started scribbling words on the page. "There is no excuse for disregarding head safety by not using a helmet."

The skater turned his head up, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Dale," Jackie interrupted, "get off his back, you're gonna end up crushing him."

Dale ripped off a stub from the notepad and stuck it in front of the skater's face. "He's old enough to know he should always be wearing a helmet." He arched his back and puffed his chest as if he had done something worthwhile. "Nothing is more important than reminding today's youth about safety. Nothing is more important than protecting the citizens, even from themselves."

The police cruiser rolled by the group. A single honk caught everyone's attention. A man with a purple Mohawk and skull-and-crossbones tattoos littered on his face rested on the window.

Cordry rolled the windows open and popped his head out. "Jackie, you were right, this guy here tried to mug a defenseless old lady." With a nonchalant expression, he placed his hands on the back of his head. "It's a good thing an officer was there to respond in time."

Dale covered his face with both hands, pressing against it as he dragged his fingers along. "Yeah…yeah it is, good job Eddie."

"Seriously, Dale." Jackie tightened her fists. "You've been doing the same thing for ten years, Dale, when will you ever learn to not over-emphasize non-issues?" she asked, glaring at him. She opened the back door and climbed inside.

Dale reached out to her, to say something, but relented as nothing came out his mouth.

Marco looked at him for a moment, before walking to the car.

"Hey man, can you get off me now?" The boy pinned on the ground asked.

* * *

A crowd gathered around the end of the block. A multitude of arrows and signs pointed in the direction of the block. The sound of burning flames caught their attention. Everybody stared up to the sky. A trio of phoenixes rose up to the sky in formation. The birds on the side spun around the center one. It created a swirling flame trail that started from the ground. The phoenixes split of in different directions, as the flame trails dissipated in the air.

A pink cloud of smoke exploded in front of the crowd. When it cleared up, a burly Latino riding a manticore and a young girl leaning on the creature, materialized out of the smoke. The girl adjusted her sparkling dress before clearing her throat.

"Welcome everyone!" Star called out, as she made hand gestures towards the house. "To the greatest open house tour you'll ever see!"

The sound of celebratory orchestral horns blared through the air, as streams of confetti erupted down the line of houses.

"Did anyone just hear a bunch of trumpets?" Someone in the crowd asked.

"Follow me, everybody!" Star floated into the air, a trail of stardust streamed behind her. The crowd followed Mr. Diaz and the manticore, as the princess drifted overhead.

"We have houses for everyone here," Star said, "everything here is ready to buy and ready to live in.

"And with the housing market the way it is, there's no better time to buy than right now."

"Plus, it's close to the schools and the new mall opening up." Mr. Diaz added.

A middle-aged woman in thick-brimmed glasses raised her hand up.

"Yes, you," Mr. Diaz said, pointing to the woman.

"This all seems tempting, but there doesn't seem to be a place for children to play."

Star pointed her wand to an empty field of grass, near the houses, and fired a beam of pink light. The ground trembled —sweeping everyone off their feet— as a gigantic play structure rose up, on top of a bed of sand. A red slide swirled from the top, all the way to the sandy ground.

"There is now," Star said with a smirk.

The middle-aged woman's eyes widened as she stared at the play structure. She turned to Mr. Diaz instantly. "How much is a lease for a house here."

"We'll get to that," Mr. Diaz chuckled. He commanded the manticore to move to the nearest house. "We haven't even seen the houses yet."

* * *

"And… it's done." Marco popped the cable out of his phone, cutting the connection from the computer. After his phone resynced, he swiped through the track listings of the limited edition album. He shoved his hand into his pocket, feeling nothing else inside. "Oh crap, I forgot my headphones." He pressed both hands against his face and dragged them through his skin. "I never usually forget anything. How are we—"

"It's cool dude, I got a pair," Jackie said, pulling her earbuds from her pocket. She plugged the cord onto the headphone jack, before putting one of the earbuds in.

Marco's heart fluttered as the side of Jackie's hand brushed past his cheek. He shifted his eyes to her hand as she plugged the other earbud into his ear. She gently pulled her hand back, pulling the phone from his grip with her other hand. He massaged the area Jackie touched. His mouth widened as he pressed his hand against his cheek. A couple of loud snaps pulled him out his stupor.

"…Marco!"

He bolted from his chair, as he turned his attention to Jackie.

"I can't choose between any of these songs." Jackie turned the screen over to Marco. "Pick one."

Marco swiped through the tracks.

"Never heard of this one," he said, pressing on a random song before immersing himself in the cacophony of synths and guitars with his crush beside him.

Jackie shifted her chair closer to Marco.

* * *

Dale watched her stepdaughter spend time with her new friend from a distance. He sighed in anguish as Cordry popped up behind him with a blue-frosted doughnut on hand.

"One of the boys brought a couple boxes of these," Cordry said, taking a bite. "Want one?"

"What am I doing wrong, Eddie?" Dale asked. "Every time I try to bond with Jackie, we just end up further apart." He plunged into an empty chair. "You know she's never called me 'Dad', once."

Cordry started to chew slowly before swallowing the bite of doughnut. "She still hasn't gotten over the divorce, from what she told me."

"Oh, I know." Dale took a deep breath and wiped the tears out of his eyes. "I mean, I know I can't replace her real dad. I know that she may never accept me as a replacement.

"All I want is to see her happy. The life of poverty and misery her deadbeat dad provided is something no child should ever live through. That's why I give her everything; why I spoil her rotten. What am I doing wrong, Eddie? Why doesn't she reciprocate?"

"Well…" Cordry shoveled the last bit of doughnut into his mouth, licking his fingers clean of frosting. "I can't give you a straight answer, mostly because I don't have kids. But you shouldn't just spoil her for the sake of her accepting you. You do it, because in the long run, she'll remember everything you've done. And maybe, by the time she has kids, she'll do the same for them. And that's the best expression of gratitude you can hope for."

Dale made a lopsided smile, leaning back on his chair as he turned his head to his partner and said, "I keep forgetting that Eddie. If I can't even remember that, I guess I am a bad father."

"No one's good at it," Cordry said. "Even after doing it for more than ten years."

"Hmm." Dale looked on his desk to see the overflow of paperwork stacking up. He shoved it off to the side. "I still want to show Jackie a good time for today. Do something cool and exciting, you know?"

A petite woman came up to Cordry with a manila folder. She handed it over to the officer. "Sir, the warrant has been written up and signed by the judge."

"That's great, Judy." Cordry opened the folder, sifting through the details on the warrant. The warrant was written up for the arrest of a Percival Leopold Middleton. He noticed the charges he specifically had written up, which included theft of school property, unlawful occupation of property, and reasonable grounds of suspected kidnapping. He snapped the folder shut. "Judy, um, tell dispatch to have all officers nearby Echo Palto to converge on the Meso Complex on Eighth Street."

Judy shrugged, before heading off.

"All that manpower for a single squatter?" Dale questioned.

Cordry didn't say anything.

"Hey, can my daughter and her friend come alon—"

"No!" Cordry shouted, turning around to face Dale. "We're not dragging civilians into a dangerous situation."

"Come on, it won't be that bad. This'll be another great bonding opportunity. To show Jackie and her friend how the arrest process works."

Cordry clenched his jaw as his lips turned into a scowl. "You're not going to let up, are you?"

Dale shrugged.

"Fine," Cordry said, walking off. "I'll find some extra bulletproof vests for the trip."

Dale walked off in a nonchalant manner towards Jackie. _How difficult would it be to arrest a squatter?_

* * *

Dale led the line of squad cars to the abandoned apartment complex. Marco and Jackie struggled to fasten their vests in.

"What kind of crime warrants this much protection?" Jackie asked, fiddling around with the vest.

When they arrived, a couple of police cruisers had already parked in front of the building. Dale shivered as he stared at the apartment building.

"What kind of crime warrants this much police?" Marco asked.

"Call it a precaution." Cordry pulled out his gun and cocked it back. "If it were up to me, I'd bring in the army and a couple air strikes for good measure. I'd tell you kids to stay inside the car, but I guess that's up to Dale." He opened the car door and scurried to the group of officers already entering the building.

"Alright, you kids stay behind me," Dale commanded. "Pay close attention, Jackie, your stepdad's about to show you how to make a real arrest."

"Right…" Jackie rolled her eyes and she opened the door.

Marco and Jackie followed Dale into the building. They made it up the stairs, where officers had already surrounded one of the doors. All the officers had their handguns out. Cordry stood in front of the door, holding his right leg up.

"I'm kicking this door down on the count of three!" Cordry lifted his leg higher "1…" Marco peered over Dale's shoulder, hoping to get a better view of the situation. "2…" Dale cocked his gun one more time, before turning his head to the door. "3!" A kick knocked the door wide open. Everyone stumbled into the room one-by-one. "Anyone home?"

Macro let out a gasp, as the rest of his mouth opened wide. The room was filled with piles of unused scrap metal and busted-up electronic devices. He himself nearly stepped on a smashed blu-ray player. Many unfinished metallic contraptions lay strewn across the floor. The room was devoid of any furniture, apart from a small, red plastic chair next to the work bench.

Cordry walked up to the work bench, picking up the blow torch that was lying in the middle.

"Here's the stuff from E. C. Academy I was talking about," Cordry said, signalling one of the other officers to come over. He showed the officer the underside of the torch, revealing the Echo Creek Academy insignia. The officer skimmed through the other tools lying on top of the bench."

"Yup, you're right Eddie, this is all Academy property." The officer picked up a monkey wrench, twirling it around.

Dale examined the right side of the room. More piles of scrap metal. He shifted the pile off to the side and —to his surprise— found a line of clothes scattered across the wall.

"Um, Eddie, come here, I think you're right about the suspected kidnapping."

Something tapped Jackie's shins. She lowered her head down, to find a teddy-bear robot tapping Jackie with its furry arm while pointing to the door with the robot arm.

"What is this place?" Marco muttered to himself.

The doorknob on the left wall shifted and rotated. It opened, revealing a man dressed in a decorative robe with a long purple mullet.

"Percy?" Marco whispered, faintly recognizing the man.

"Why, hello there everyone, I'm used to a person or two barging in, but I didn't prepare for a party. I apologize for the appalling state of my humble abode." All the officers aimed their guns towards Percy. "Oooh, and you bought gifts too, how delightful."

Cordry treaded to the robed-figure, keeping his handgun pointed on his forehead. "Turn around, face the wall…"

"Alrighty… hey, I remember you, you're the guy that came over yesterday. How've you been?"

"Put your hands in the air." Percy complied, as everyone else in the room watched with baited breath.

"Well, I've been doin' swell myself, I fix up the electricity here and…" Cordry grabbed onto his left arm and latched a handcuff around the wrist. "Hey, you seem to be gettin' real handsy back there, what's going on?"

"Percival Leopold Middleton…" Cordry calmed himself by breathing in the middle of his sentence. "You're under arrest for—"

"Under arrest?" Percy interrupted. The situation dawned on him. "Oh I see, this ain't no party. I'm getting hauled off." He stomped on the ground and lifted his hood over his head. A flood of blue, viscous liquid poured from the ceiling and drenched everyone in the room. "Sorry, but I got more important things to attend to."

Marco slid his hand through his hair, the thick, gel-like substance ran down his fingers. He recoiled from the stench. A couple of other robots popped out from under the pile of metal. The little robots urged harder, pointing Marco and Jackie to the door repeatedly.

"You don't have a choice." Cordry grabbed Percy by the wrist, pulling him closer. "We're gonna clean whatever you just spilt on us, then we're taking you down to the station, whether you want to or not."

"Hey, I'm tryin' to be the polite one here. So here's the thing, Cordry. I just got here recently, and I'm in the middle of fixin' this place up."

Jackie noticed something moving underneath his robe.

"I'm tired of other people makin' me move around. I just want to live alone, in peace."

Jackie grabbed Marco and Dale by the wrists and dashed out towards the door.

"This is my home now! I ain't going anywhere, and neither are any of you!"

*Click*

* * *

 **There's still one more part of this episode after this. Sorry, this is a longer episode than normal.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	14. Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 4

**Here it is, the last part of Episode 6. Yeah, this episode was a long one. Maybe future eps won't be as long or maybe they'll be longer. It'll depend on how much is needed I guess.**

 **Episode 6: Take Your Kids to Work Day Part 4**

 **Description: Marco gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he gets to spend the day with Jackie on 'Take Your Kids to Work Day' alone. Meanwhile, Star tries to sell houses with Mr. Diaz.**

 **Thanks to the following Betas for helping me:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

A light flashed behind the trio as Jackie dragged Marco and Dale out the room. They slid into the wall—struggling to stand back up—as another pair of lights flickered behind them, casting a light through the door.

Jackie pushed herself up off the ground, almost slipping on her moist, fluid-covered hands. She brushed along her arms and vest, wiping the blue gunk off her body. A disoriented Marco pulled himself up, clutching his head and shutting his eyes tight.

"Did anyone see what just went off inside?" Marco asked.

Dale shook off the liquid that coated his gun, aiming it down the door. "It's probably nothing. How much damage could…" He lowered his gun, shuffling back with widened eyes. The sludge filling his ears made the screams of agony inside the room almost inaudible. "Oh dear lord."

Marco scanned the inside of the room. The sticky, gooey fluid hardened around the bodies of the officers inside the room. The gunk encased their limbs and bodies, effectively gluing them in place. A lucky few whose mouths weren't covered screamed for help.

"What… happened?"

In the middle of the room, Percy's cloak lay in a heap on the ground. A bump protruded from the cloth. Pink light glowed from the inside as the cloak cracked open. It shattered into multiple pieces. Percy surged from the inside of the cloak, driving his magic-imbued gauntlet fists up in the air and landing on the blue-coated ground.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said, as the gauntlets dissipated from his hands. "It actually worked."

"What worked?" Dale asked. "What have you done?"

"Oh, well, it's just a little concoction I've been meaning to test out for a while"—Percy grabbed a blue vial from his shirt pocket—"according to the instructions on this 'nail polish' thing, you gotta flash a UV light to instantly dry on the applied area." He carelessly tossed the bottle behind his back. "Now, I wasn't sure if it'll still work after I boiled it in sugar and other stuff. But it did. Amazingly." Percy brushed his fingers on one of the petrified officer. "This'll make for a good security system. I gotta take note of that though, so I don't forget."

Marco felt over his body, wiping the modified nail polish off himself as quickly as possible. Dale's body rattled as he struggled to keep his gun up.

"Well, since everybody doesn't seem to be going anywhere, in the meantime…" Percy sauntered over to an unmoving Cordry.

Cordry's eyes were the only part the nail polish hadn't solidified. The eyes trembled as Percy stared back at him.

"I say, we should have a little get together, everybody is welcome to join."

"Y-you… you're insane," Macro quivered as he lifted a finger pointing towards the mage.

Reactively, Percy's mechanical arm elevated above his head. "Marco, was it?" The arm stretched to the door, grabbing Marco by the collar of his sweater.

"Marco!" Jackie screamed.

Marco wiggled against the arm's grip as it pulled the boy closer to Percy. "I don't take kindly to insults. If you don't wanna stay, that's fine by me. Feel free to leave. I have other business to attend to." The arm released Marco, dropping him on the hard, polish-laden floor.

"Stay or leave, I don't care." Percy turned his attention back to the petrified Cordry. "So, I know I showed you the Munchkinator, you want to try it—"The sound of a gunshot startled him as a bullet flew past his ear. He dropped to the ground as Dale fired shot after shot, unloading his entire clip. Marco scurried to the side.

"I'm adding resisting arrest and assaulting police officers to your list of crimes," Dale announced as he reloaded his gun. He lumbered towards Percy, aiming his gun at the tech mage.

Percy's metal arm opened its palm and glowed with a red twinge. "I'm sorry for doing this, but I have other guests to attend to so—"

"Clog in fuel drives detected," the arm reported with a robotic inflection.

"Oh dagnammit."

"Death ray and targeted strike are inoperable. I repeat death ray—"

A storm of bullets flurried in Percy's direction. Percy dropped to the ground. The arm detached itself, expanding itself to cover any openings. A bullet struck the light bulb on the ceiling. Traces of electrical current petered out the socket.

Marco rushed to catch up to Percy.

"If you want me so bad, come get me." Percy and the mechanical arm materialized into a cloud of electricity.

Dale set his gun down and watched the cloud phase into the socket. The room cleared of any sign of electricity.

Marco drifted to a stop. Jackie caught up to the two in the middle of the room.

"Where'd he go?" Dale asked.

"Who knows," Marco said. "He can travel along electrical currents. He could be anywhere by now."

"Travel along electric—who or what are we dealing with here?" Jackie said.

"I don't know where he came from," Marco explained, "but he came to Echo Creek a couple of weeks ago. Remember that whole thing with the giant electronic monster rampaging Circuit Universe?"

Dale and Jackie nodded.

"That was him." Marco took in his surroundings. "He lifted his hand in the air, and made whatever that was."

Dale pulled out his walkie-talkie. The blue sludge jammed the buttons and covered the receiver.

"Welp, we're definitely on our own now."

Marco examined the group of petrified officers, before looking out the window near the far end of the room. "I say, we cut our losses, and get out before he can fire another death ray or worse."

"And what? Leave everyone stuck here." Dale's eyes watered up as the sounds of screaming morphed into whimpers and moans. He wiped his eyes before going on. "As an officer of the law, I have a duty to uphold. It's my responsibility to apprehend the suspect and save my friends. I owe them that at the very least."

Marco and Jackie sighed.

"Okay," Jackie said, "so what's the plan?"

Dale contemplated for a moment, knocking on the hardened nail polish. "Jackie, you go find something that can get rid of this stuff."

"Well then, I need a gas can and something to pilfer gasoline from the cars." Jackie replied, going off and searching the room.

Dale pulled on his collar before he relented. "Marco and I will split up and search the building for this psycho." Dale faced towards Marco. "Give me a shout if you find him, okay?"

Marco nodded.

* * *

Marco entered the basement, the last part of the building he hadn't checked. The basement itself was a single room with only one door. He whiffed away a cloud of dust buzzing around his head. The corners were decorated with cobwebs and mold. The only light that came into the room was from an opening where a window used to be.

What caught his attention the most was the musty scent of mildew—similar to that of a cedar tree or wet socks—that permeated through the air, dropping Marco to his knees as he heaved out the contents of his stomach.

His arms quivered as he pulled himself up. When he regained his balance, he explored the rest of the desolate basement. Apart from a pipe that lay on the ground, a wooden table against the wall and the piles of trash that littered the floor, the basement was empty. He flinched when he heard a distant tumbling noise.

Beneath the shattered window, a circuit breaker remained mounted on the wall. Marco hobbled through the heaps of garbage, reaching the circuit breaker, albeit with a bit of difficulty.

He grabbed the lever and pulled it down. The sound of lights going off echoed through the building. A surge of electricity ran through the ceiling.

A strike of lightning drove towards Marco. He shuffled back, as the lightning hit the ground. Smoke billowed from the ground. Out of the smoke, Percy and the arm rematerialized.

"Hiya there, Marco," he greeted with a wide smile. "Fancy seeing you here. I swear, it's impossible to navigate the wires in this place." The mechanical arm detached itself from Percy. It skittered around the floor "I guess it's a given, considering how old this place is."

Marco shuffled back to the wall. "Dale! He's in the basement downstairs, he's—"

A pink gauntlet crashed onto Marco's cheek. He tumbled to the side, knocking his head on a pile of trash.

"Don't be hollerin' to Dale," Percy commanded. "We haven't had to chance to talk yet." Another gauntlet emerged on his other fist. "So anyways, how you've been? How's Star, she still holdin' up well?"

Marco shoved a pile of trash in Percy's face. As Percy stumbled, Marco kicked him straight in the stomach, knocking him against the wall.

Percy let out a chuckle. "I guess she's doing all right, then?" He rose from the ground, tightening his fists. Studded spikes emerged from the knuckles. He swung his fists at Marco, as the boy deflected them with the side of his arms. "I've been meaning to visit, but she never gave me an address."

Marco struck Percy in the knees, forcing the purple-haired vagrant to double over. He spun a fist straight to his jawbone and drove the other fist with an uppercut to his chin. Percy thumped on his back.

"You're not coming anywhere near my house, you psycho."

Percy clenched his teeth as he forced an unnatural grin. He stood up and levitated from the ground. A circular runic symbol manifested over Percy's head. Marco's trembling made him struggle to back away, as the symbol began to complete itself.

"Like I said, Marco"—A bolt of lightning shot out from the rune as Marco barely dodged each shot—"I don't take kindly to insults." The next bolt struck Marco square in the chest. He convulsed on the floor as the electricity coursed through his body. Marco crawled to the stairs on one hand, sliding away from the tech mage. The mechanical arm pounced Marco. It wrapped around his body, squeezing the boy tight.

The runic symbols evaporated into the air.

"If you're done being rude, then we can move this conversation back to my room." Percy dragged the arm up the stairs to the main lobby. He took the next flight of the stairs to the second storey. "We have a lot to catch up with, so—"

A bullet grazed Percy's shoulder. He turned to the entrance, and saw Dale and Jackie holding their handguns aimed towards him. Jackie dropped a red gasoline can beside her, placing another hand on the gun.

"You're not taking him anywhere."

Percy growled. "Bessie, shield function now!

Gunfire rained down the hallway as the arm released Marco and expanded into a circular mass to cover Percy. Marco scampered to Jackie and Dale, as bullets flew by him. The bullets barely dented the shield.

Jackie and Dale emptied their clips, leaving the sound of clicking when they pressed their triggers. Dale's hand trembled when he tried to feel around for another full clip, only to find nothing.

Percy's mechanical arm reattached to his back, reforming to its original state. The arm pointed to the group by the entrance.

"Let's see if you're functional again." The hand glowed with a twinge of red. A blackish-red laser fired from the palm of the hand, down on the ground. It discharged in a straight line, leaving a burning trail on the ground.

Dale clutched his stepdaughter as they backed away from the approaching laser.

When the laser vanished, the burning trail exploded in its wake. The force of the explosion blew the trio hurdling back to a cruiser.

"Well what do you know, it fixed itself." Percy sauntered out of the smoke, pointing the glowing arm in their general direction.

"Because I'm so nice, you guys get five seconds to leave."

* * *

"Bye, bye now," Percy said as the laser chased away the speeding cruiser. "Don't come back!" He made a smile as he explosion afterwards knocked the other police cars. He looked down on the parking lot, as fires began to engulf the area. "The clean-up can wait, I have some guests to attend to."

Percy scurried back to the room, to find the petrified officers hadn't budged. His hands raised into a steeple, as he meandered between the statues. He stopped at a terrified Cordry, sweeping a finger underneath his hardened chin.

One of the munchkins wailed their fists onto Percy. It only tickled him. Percy picked it up and brushed along its head.

"Awh, still so adorable," he said, squealing and hugging the robot. Percy turned his attention back to Cordry, whose eyes still flared and widened. "You know, this was the first munchkin I made when I came here. I'm still surprised it lasted this long."

Percy's mechanical arm wrangled the solidified Cordry. He pulled on the arm, pulling the officer with him. The hardened nail polish muffled Cordry's screams into a quiet moan. "Because you've been fairly silent for a while, you get to see the Munchkinator first. How exciting is that?!"

A tear streamed from Cordry's left eye.

* * *

Nobody said a word as Marco, Jackie and Dale drove away from the borough. What could anyone say after a situation like that?

Marco tried to steady his legs, as the burning sensation of the electric shock permeated around his body. Jackie and Dale held up better physically, but both looked onwards, dazed and blinking rapidly.

"Well, it… could've gone worse," Dale suggested. "I mean, we could have also been stuck inside with that purple-haired psycho."

No one said anything as they passed by Echo Creek Academy. A few people turned their attention to the slightly beaten up police cruiser.

"So, uh, what's the plan now, Dale?" Marco asked.

"The plan…" Dale pondered for a moment. "Well, I take you home, Marco. Then, I'll tell the chief what happened, and then… he'll take it from there."

"And that's it?" Jackie asked. "What about the other officers trapped in that guy's apartment? What's gonna happen to them?"

"I don't…" Dale's eyes began to water up, as the teardrops slid down his cheeks. "I don't know, Jackie."

The rest of the car ride was filled with the sounds of pained sobbing and constant sniffling.

* * *

Mr. Diaz parked on the driveway. He switched the ignition off and exited the car.

"Star"—Mr. Diaz coughed out a huff of pink smoke—"you were amazing. I think we managed to sell every house in the neighbourhood. I don't know, there's just so many offers."

Star took off her boots before getting out of the car. "Yeah, that was super fun, actually." She pulled the leash around the manticore's neck, leading it out of the car. "Come on Manny, you did good today. Now go back to your room and Marco and I will find you a treat. Sound good?"

The manticore grumbled as it hobbled inside.

Mrs. Diaz followed the manticore into the house. "Star, where do you want me to take your pet?

"Lead it to my room," Star said. "It'll follow you, it likes to follow any trail of flesh. Also, don't touch the tail." She turned her attention to Mr. Diaz.

"Next time, we should bring Marco along," Mr. Diaz suggested. "With the three of us, we can sell an entire city of houses by the end of the day."

"Yeah, I don't see why not." Star peered side-to-side to each end of the road. "Speaking of, where's Marco? I thought he'd be home by now."

The police cruiser appeared on the right side of the road. It drifted to a stop in front of the Diaz residence. Marco popped out of the rear-side door. Star couldn't recognize her friend from his singed clothing, his tattered hair, the blotches of blue fluid spread around his body, and the musty odour exuding from his body.

"Bye guys, good luck with everything." Marco waved at the police cruiser as it drove off. He trudged into the house.

"Marco, what happened? How did everything with Jackie go?" Star sniffed the air a few times, hitting her with the musty scent. "Why do you smell like wet-socks, Marco?"

Marco kept on walking, while Star tagged behind him. "Star, I need to take a shower before the nail polish bakes into my skin, can I tell you after?"

Star raised her finger and opened her mouth wide, as she drew in a lot of air, before reeling back. "O-okay, Marco." She walked beside Marco. "But um, can you at least tell me why you're covered in nail polish?"

"Remember that weirdo from Circuit Universe?"

* * *

Ludo tapped his fingers along the mahogany table as he waited for Toffee to finish reading his newspaper.

"Where do you even find these newspapers anyways?" Ludo asked.

"I happen to come by them." Toffee set the paper down from his eyes. "So Ludo, what do you need?"

"I need your help."

"That's what I'm here for."

"My men still haven't recovered from our last debacle in the Wild Game Dimension." Ludo pondered for a moment. "At this rate, I don't think I'll ever take the wand with these buffoons."

"We could always outsource the work, temporarily." Toffee suggested.

"That's why I came here, I was thinking about hiring some outside help, but our budget is kinda stretched at the moment, what with all the medical bills and such. I was hoping you know any mercenaries or anyone competent who will work for cheap."

Toffee placed his hand underneath his chin as he studied the ceiling. "Yes, I think I know someone who can help."

"Really?" Ludo's eyes lit up. "How much will he cost me?"

"You let me worry about payment." Toffee pulled out a non-descript box with a red ribbon tied on the top, and shoved it in his pocket.

"Well… okay then, tell me, who is this guy?"

"He's an ex-merc. One of the best, I believe. I don't know him personally"—Toffee tossed the newspaper on the mahogany—"but I know where to find him."

The headline on the newspaper read: _10 Police Officers Missing—Last seen in Echo Palto._

* * *

 **And yeah, that's it for _Take Your Kids to Work Day_. I liked working with Percy again, he's can be a fun character. **

**Also I got some important news: University is about to start up soon, so I'll be really busy with that. This'll mean that chapters may start to come at a slower rate, because I'll be focused on university work. So I apologize in advance. But that doesn't mean I'm done with this story. Actually, if you go on my profile, I have all the episodes I have planned for this fic. I even added a few more episodes to the list. And that's only half the story, there's a 2nd half that I'm planning out. So there's a lot more of this story to come. But things will come in at a slower rate, so again, I'm sorry for that.**

 **Anyways, if you want, leave a review and thanks for reading!**


	15. Let's Go To The Mall, Everybody! Part 1

**Sorry for the wait for this next episode. If any reader here followed my tumblr, you would know how much trouble this episode caused me. Well, good news is, I'm past that now and I finally finished this chapter up. Hopefully, this episode isn't gonna be a 4-parter like _Take Your Kids to Work Day_. **

**Episiode 7: Let's Go to The Mall, Everybody! Part 1**

 **Synopsis: Marco has a list of things he needs to buy by the end of the day. Star decides to go on a scavenger hunt for them in the new Hexon Supermall, where anything could be in the 100′s of stores.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
Silver Tears85**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Percy fiddled with the wrench, tightening the bolt firmly onto the joints of the arm. He detached a cylindrical tube from beneath the palm of the mechanical arm, replacing it with another one from his bag. The arm tried to rise up, only to crumple on the table. He stepped back from the table, and his foot accidentally stepped on one of the munchkins roaming around the room.

He pressed his hands against his mouth. "I'm so sorry, Freddy." He hid his face away from the crumpled remains of the teddy bear robot. When he looked back, its crushed exterior made it indistinguishable from the piles of scrap metal lying around the room. A bit of electricity sparked out of its head.

"Maybe I should clean this place up first." A circular symbol manifested behind him. Percy's vision blurred, he was only able to identify a faint shade of blue. The sound of a tiny explosion made his ears ring.

When his vision cleared, the entire room was devoid of any mess. No sign of scrap metal anywhere.

He collapsed to his knees, as multiple beads of sweat poured from his forehead and drenched the collar of his dress shirt. Something rose from the bottom of his stomach, making its way to his mouth. A flood of bile rushed out of his mouth, leaving him a heaving mess by the end of it. Another munchkin stood by his head, staring at the disheveled tech mage.

"Oh, hey Cordry," Percy said, forcing himself back up. "Don't worry about me, I just have to find an easier way of cleaning this place." He walked back to the table. He slammed both arms on the table, in a vain attempt to keep himself up. The arm dragged itself closer to Percy.

"Hang in there, Bessie, I know you can make it."

"Critical Condition, Critical Condition, Critical Condition…" The arm's automated systems announced.

"I knew I should have taken a couple with me," he muttered off to the side. Turning his attention back at his robotic companion, Percy caressed the arm with broad strokes. "You'll be okay, I swear."

The sound of a portal ripping open perked his ears. He turned around, facing the tear in reality. Percy readied himself, as the rune materialized behind his head.

A small bird-like creature with a skull covering, and a lizard dressed in a suit walked out of the portal. It closed up behind the pair. They ducked as Percy fired a warning bolt over their heads.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm not in the mood for another batch of visitors." Percy fired another bolt, collapsing on one leg before standing back up. "Leave, now!"

"We come in peace! We come in peace!" the bird creature shrieked. The rune evaporated into the air as he walked up to Percy.

Percy tumbled to his knees and covered his pulsating forehead with both hands.

The diminutive bird creature helped the tech mage off the ground. "The name's Ludo, and I have a deal to make with you."

"My name's Percival Leopold Middleton the Third, but—"

"You prefer Percy, I know."

Percy let out a tiny cough before moving on. "And what kind of deal are we talkin' here?"

Ludo tossed a burlap sack on the ground. "Do you know a girl named Star Butterfly?"

"Yeah, I'm acquainted with her, why do you ask?" Percy picked up the sack, opening it to reveal a pile of gold coins. From the corner of his eye, he saw the lizard place a box wrapped in red ribbon on the work bench.

"Ever heard of the Royal Mewnian Wand?" Ludo asked. "A magical wand of unlimited power."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of it. I might've seen it a couple of times. I assume you want it."

"How perceptive of you. Yes, I want that wand and I trust you can get it for me."

Percy studied the tiny creature in front of him. He squinted towards him, noticing his toothy grin. Ludo waved a hand in front of his face.

"Personally, I would do it myself," Ludo said, "but I have other things to attend to and my army is in bad shape at the moment, so I'm doing a little bit of temporary outsourcing."

"Why me though?" Percy asked. "I'm just a lowly vagrant, just trying fixing up this dingy dirt hole."

"Are you sure about that? Because my associate, Toffee, has told me you were one of the best mercenaries out there."

Percy shut his eyes tight and brushed his palms across them. "Yeah, I dabbled with soldier-for-hire work in the past, but that's just that, the past." He turned away from Ludo. "And besides, Star's a nice girl, very kind and polite. I'd never want to harm her on purpose."

"You don't have to hurt her, I just need you to take the wand."

"And besides," Toffee spoke up, "we'll pay you very handsomely." He knocked on the box a couple of times.

Percy stared at the box and looked inside the burlap sack one more time. "I don't think this is nearly enough for what you're asking me to do. You know, handing you a weapon of mass destruction and all that." He shook the bag. "I'm not sure if these coins are useable currency in this dimension."

"Look inside the box when you get the chance to," Toffee instructed. He pulled out a pair of dimensional scissors and tore open a portal back home. He turned around, pulling something out of his pocket. The lizard tossed a whistle towards Percy. "When you have the wand in hand, blow this and we'll pull you out in an instant."

"Good luck, Percy!" Ludo said as he walked through the portal. As it closed in on itself, Percy looked at his surroundings, almost dumbfounded.

 _Why should I bother going through that much trouble for a little bit of gold?_ He picked up the box. He looked around his room—as dingy and dirty as it looked—he considered his current living situation a lot better than even a month ago. Even with a lot things breaking apart, Percy didn't find any need to break away the peace he built for himself. His fingers twirled over the ribbon, pulling it apart. _Nothing is going to convince me to—_

A blue aura shone on Percy's eyes. He tumbled over on the ground, as a grin plastered his face.

"Is this… corthite?!" he yelped, his vocal pitch raising an octave or two.

Percy picked himself back up and examined the contents of the box. The first thing he grabbed was the sheet of paper on the top.

It was a note.

 _There's more where this came from—Do whatever the Kappa tells you to do._

He threw the note to the side. Percy inspected the rocks further. The sky-blue ores were see-through, with a mystic symbol, similar to an apostrophe, floating inside. Each rock emitted a twinge of blue light.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through his body as he picked up one of the rocks. "Bessie, open up your C-core."

The mechanical arm attempted to open the flap on its palm. It twitched constantly, unable to keep itself open for long. Percy took a pair of pliers and pried it open. A black, cracked rock dropped onto the table, leaving a crevice open. The arm itself lay limp and motionless.

He shoved a corthite rock in the crevice. The flap closed itself. The hand formed a fist, as a wave of red light flowed through the arm. Strands of metal flourished from the bottom of the arm.

"All systems fully operational," the computerized voice announced.

"Excellent." Percy bounced from foot-to-foot. "Bessie… give me a diagnostic report."

"Death Ray, on standby."

"Mhm."

"Precision Targeted Strike, on standby."

"Yes…"

"Gravitational Displacement Burst, on standby."

Percy's body trembled.

The loose bolts on the arm tightened by themselves. "Kinetic Barrier, on standby."

Percy bounced on the ground, laughing and giggling to himself.

"Now, what should I build first?" He asked himself.

After a moment of thought, he held his hands above the table, materializing a camcorder and some scrap metal on the table

"It's only the wand, right?" Percy asked himself. He picked up another corthite ore and a mallet. "That sounds doable." He tapped the mallet on the rock before smashing it to a powder.

* * *

A drone whizzed by the Diaz residence, to the indifference of everyone in the neighbourhood.

Star slouched on the couch, holding the cover of a book up to her face as the noise from the television faded into the background. She pressed her index finger against the letters of the title, which read _Blood Moon Lovers_. Curious, she opened it up to the first page and skimmed through a poem. The couch shifted subtly. She turned to her left, to see Marco lying back on the couch, stretching his neck behind the back of the couch.

"Feeling better, Marco?" Star asked, putting the book on her lap.

"A little," Marco said, pressing a hand on the faint burn mark on his chest. "I'm surprised a lightning bolt didn't kill me."

"Yeah, lightning-based spells aren't as powerful as you think." Star shot a bolt of lightning out the open window. Marco shuddered on instinct. "It's more for show, than anything."

"I see"—A tongue slathered on the back of his neck, prompting him to turn around and see a docile manticore staring back—"Star, manticore saliva won't screw up my body, right?"

"Oh no, you're fine. Other than the tail, Manny's harmless." Manny nestled underneath Star's chin, as the princess rubbed her hand over his mane. "Hey Marco, what do you wanna do this weekend? I don't have anything planned and I don't want to spend it reading." She raised the book up, presenting it to Marco.

"Well, my mom gave me this list of things to buy." He shoved his hand into his sweater pocket, pulling out a sheet of paper covered in blue ink. "I was thinking we do that, and just chill all weekend, sound good?"

Star's lips formed a pout as she crossed her arms. "Shopping's good, I guess. We could go to the mall at the centre of the universe. I've never been there before so—"

"No need, Star, it's just a thirty minute trip to the strip mall, and we're done." Marco sat up straight, holding off a twinge of pain that crept through his chest. "There's no need to go to other dimensions unnecessarily."

Marco switched the television on. Images of six lines forming a hexagon appeared on the screen. The scene cut to a short, balding Asian man in front of a massive building.

"Hey, isn't that Brittney's dad?" Star asked.

"Hi, my name's Mr. Wong, and I want to show you something amazing."

On screen, he bounced inside the building, and started to sprint down a hallway of shops. The camera hobbled behind.

"Tired of going to the same six stores in Echo Creek?"

Star peered closer to the television. "Yes."

"Have too much disposable income?"

The princess raised her wand and summoned a chest filled to the brim with gold. The chest dropped on top of the manticore's head, before landing on the floor on its side. Manny growled, widening its mouth, before Star rubbed the top of its head, subduing the ferocious beast. "Yes."

"Then take every last penny you have, and come to The Hexon Supermall!" Mr. Wong and the cameraman arrived at a round room with different openings and paths, leading to other parts of the mall. In the middle, a massive, imposing statue of Mr. Wong stood dominantly. "This room connects to hundreds of stores, restaurants, arcades, even a theme park…"

"A theme park…" A trail of drool dripped down from the side of Star's mouth.

"So come on, what are you waiting for, come to Hexon—"

Images of the insides of stores and mall interiors flashed in front of Star's eyes. She faced towards Marco and opened her mouth.

"Marco—"

"No, Star."

Star fiddled with her phone behind her back. "Come on, Marco, the man in the TV said we have to go."

"The TV also said that the missing officer incident was a government conspiracy." Marco grabbed the remote and changed the channel. A news segment about missing police officers played on the television. He recoiled back and gritted his teeth. Marco changed the channel again. "Nothing will convince me to change my mind. "

Marco's phone vibrated. He held it above his lap and turned it on, revealing a text that was just sent.

The text read: _Marco, you hear about this new supermall? It sounds cool, but I don't wanna go alone. Wanna come with? – Jackie_

His eyes widened, along with his grin. "On second thought, I think a little shopping spree would be nice."

"I thought you would change your mind," Star said, as she texted back to Jackie to say 'thanks'.

* * *

Star Butterfly and a five-year old girl were the first ones out of the bus. Both of them sprung out the bus doors, both filled to the brim with energy, bouncing up and down on the pavement. Both girls' smiles stretched to their ears.

Marco chuckled as the surroundings emanated with Star's hyperactive aura. The little girl's parents grabbed their daughter and set off inside the mall. Marco stood by his friend and stared at the sleek, metallic exterior of the mall. The letters plastered on top of the doors casted a shadow on the ground.

"Here we are, Star," Marco said with a nod. "Corporate greed and capitalism at its finest."

"I don't know what any of those things are, Marco. All I know is I want to go inside," Star said, clamping onto Marco's wrist. "Let's go, Marco."

With a single step, Star dragged Marco inside the mall. When they entered the goliath of a building, they stared down the corridor of shops, boutiques and restaurants off to the side. To Star, the corridor seemed to stretch for miles upon miles. She noticed a railway in the middle of the floor, stretching down the massive hallway. A train with open trolleys for the weary mall shoppers were stationed next to Star.

"Marco, this place is huge," Star said, taking her surroundings in.

"Yeah, it is." Marco spotted a map next to the door. As he trudged off to the map, an eager Star snagged his wrist again, pulling him down the corridor. "Star!"

"It's just a straight hallway, we don't need a map for that," she said, dragging the poor boy along. "We have more mall to explore." After a while of running down the hallway, the back of her kneecaps flared in pain. The pressure forced her to tumble to her knees.

Marco trailed behind her, pulling himself up and dusting his knees off as the princess collapsed on the ground.

Star moaned, feeling the soreness that engulfed her legs, "Marco, what time is it?"

Marco pulled out his phone and turned on the screen. "It's 10:15."

"What time did we get here?"

"10 o'clock."

The princess slammed her face on the smooth, reflective tiles. She tilted her head up as a train passed by.

"All aboard, the Hexon train," the conductor announced.

She faced Marco with pleading eyes. "Marco—"

"Yes Star, we can take the train," he replied.

Star squealed as she waved her wand to levitate both of them into one of the empty trolleys.

A man with a Hexon mall uniform demanded five dollars from each of them. Marco stared at his friend's whimpering eyes. He grimaced, scrounging his pocket for cash. He slammed the cash into the man's hand as the man thanked the both of them. The boy sighed, looking back at the giddy Star. As long as she's happy, right?

"Attention Hexon customers," the loudspeakers said, "just a reminder that the Hexon Customer Train is free at all times. Any 'Hexon staff' that ask you to pay should be immediately reported to one of the customer help stations posted across the mall. Thank you, and have a great day."

Marco slammed the palms of his hands to his forehead.

The train cruised at a moderate speed as Star took in the atmosphere of the building.

"Marco, what's that?" she asked, pointing to a sign of a cup with steam floating on top.

"That's a coffee shop."

"What about that?" Star pointed to another shop with a stylistic logo of a pineapple as a sign. The name on top of the store read 'PineApple'. A man wearing a toque and thick-brimmed glasses walked out the store, eyes glued on his white smartphone.

"That's where all technological innovation goes to rot and fester."

"Really, because I thought it was a PineApple store."

"Exactly."

As the train chugged along the rails, Star kept pointing to various other stores down the hallway and Marco called them out as she asked.

"Passengers, we have arrived at the centre of Hexon…"

A massive statue of Mr. Wong had been erected in the centre circle. Shoppers congregated around the statue, shuffling beside each other, knocking their shoulders against each other as the centre became congested with people. The train wrapped around the centre, shifting to the right. People clamored for space on the escalators and elevators rising through the numerous floors in the building. Many shops and boutiques littered the area, with openings for more shops present.

Star pulled Marco's attention to Jackie, who slouched on the bench with Janna. Jackie tilted a cup of cappuccino down her mouth, using her other hand to wave for Marco and Star's attention. Star hopped off the train, Marco trailing behind.

"Hi Jackie and Janna," Star hollered out with a wave.

They got off the benches, Jackie setting down her cup on the bench. "Hey Star," they said.

Star pounced on Jackie, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. She did the same with Janna. "I didn't know you were coming, Janna."

"You kidding me? This place has the biggest roller coaster in Echo Creek. I'm not missing out on that."

"Wait, really?" Star asked. "Where?"

"Follow me." Janna motioned Star to stick behind her as both ran off to one of the corridors. "Hey Marco," she said as she passed by the boy.

Marco made a forced waving gesture as Star and Janna ran off. Jackie picked her cup up and sauntered up to Marco.

She took a long, drawn-out sip from the cup. "Hey Marco."

"Oh uh, hey Jackie," he stammered out in a jittery fashion. Taking a moment to collect himself, he drew in a deep breath as the both of them walked beside each other. "I didn't expect Janna to be here, that's for sure."

Jackie shrugged. "I owe her food money and she wouldn't shut up about it yesterday. Plus she said she missed you."

Marco scowled and sighed. "So, how're you holding up after the whole 'missing police officer' thing?"

"It's been kinda tough, but I'm trying not to lose sleep over it." Jackie headed off to towards the direction she remembered Janna going. Marco followed suit. "Dale, on the other hand, um…" She hummed out loud, taking a moment to think. "Not doing very well, to say the least."

Marco shrugged. "I don't blame him," he said.

"Yeah, he lost his partner and a decent chunk of the police force. He's been scrambling for replacements and the media isn't really helping—"

"Is that Jackie?" Someone off in the distance called out.

Jackie dove underneath a bench, as a group of journalists shoved past the crowds of people, passing right by her. She brought herself back up, wiping the dust off her legs. She turned her head in both directions. "Are they gone?"

"Um…" Marco double-checked both sides. "Yup, you're good."

"Thank you," Jackie said with a sigh. "Yeah, they've been annoying."

"We should get a move on then."

"Yup."

* * *

Star and Janna stood outside the entrance of the theme park, peering through the windowsill. Rides and attractions spread across the mall's amusement park. The roller coaster wound it's way through entire area of the indoor park.

"Hey Star."

"Yeah."

"How badly do you want to ride that massive roller coaster?"

"Very."

Janna pulled out a scrunched-up pile of cash from her pocket. "What are we waiting for, let's go!" Janna ran off to the entrance doors of the indoor park.

"Star, Janna!" someone shouted from afar. Star and Janna turned around and noticed Marco running up to them. When the boy made it to the entrance, he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Marco, look," Star commanded, dragging his body to face the park. "They have a roller coaster inside a mall. How cool is that?"

Marco stared at the colossal coaster in front of him. His eyes followed one of the cars on the ride, watching it speed through the loops and descents of the coaster. A bit of bile rose from his stomach.

Janna noticed Marco's skin lose colour.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, I guess," Marco said, peeling his eye off the ride.

"Marco, don't you still get motion sick?" Janna asked.

"What? No, not really…"

Janna snickered. "The last time he went on a coaster, he started puking mid-loop. I think it all landed on one of the carnies."

Marco froze in place, eyes bulging out their sockets.

Janna nudged Jackie in the side. "Hey Jackie, ever seen someone projectile vomit while going downhill on a coaster? I have—"

Marco elbowed Janna on the side of the stomach. Janna snickered under her breath

He pulled out a stack of maps from his pocket and passed one out to each girl. "This place is massive, so everyone gets a map in case they get lost." Marco handed the last map off to Star, whose attention was directed to the tall, needle-like structure in the middle of the park.

"Marco, there's a roller coaster and needle thingy."

"We can go here after we're done." Marco took out a sheet of paper from his sweater pocket. "Remember why we're here?"

Star brushed it off. "That wouldn't take long at all, we have time to—"

Marco unfolded the paper, extending the list of things to buy.

Star's jaw slacked. "Can't we do the shopping somewhere else?"

Marco shrugged. "You wanted to shop here, it was your choice."

"But, Marco… there's like, a million different shops in this mall."

"Which is why I gave you the map." Marco tore a portion of the shopping list and handed it off to Star. He grabbed a bunch of cash from his pocket and passed it to her. "I think if we split the shopping, we can finish the list by noon." He slid next to Jackie, list in hand. "Hey Jackie, want to help me finish this shopping list."

"Eh…" Jackie looked through the window and into the indoor amusement park.

"I'll pay for your rides."

"Well then, I'll be happy to help," she said with a smile.

Marco feigned a chuckle as he dug his hand through his cash-filled pocket, while forcing a lopsided smile, hoping the pocket won't be empty by the end of the day.

"Janna, do you mind if Jackie comes with me for a bit?"

"Go ahead," Janna said, gesturing Jackie to go off. "It's been a long time coming anyways."

"Alright, now the… what's that supposed to mean?" Marco asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Janna said, easing Marco up.

Marco eyed Janna, looking at her cautiously. "Alright then, we'll meet up here after we're done shopping." He and Jackie started walking away. "Star, keep an eye on Janna. Make sure she doesn't steal anything."

"Okay, Marco!" Star looked through the glass, watching the kids pile on the rides, then back at the list, pouting.

"I'll keep that safe for you," Janna said as she pulled the list and shoved it into her pocket. She turned straight to the amusement park. "There's a huge roller coaster waiting for us."

"But, Marco wants me to—"

"Come on, Star, it's just one ride."

Star contemplated for a moment before running off to catch up with Janna.

* * *

"You know, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't have left Star with Janna," Marco said aloud, staring at the list. "She'll probably get Star and herself arrested or something."

"Come on, Marco, you got to be a little more optimistic," Jackie said. "'She'll probably evade an arrest if they try."

"Yeah, probably actually." They made their way to one of the escalators heading to the upper floors. Marco tried to squish through the cluster of bodies riding the escalator. When they got off, Marco tumbled to his knees and gasped for air. Jackie pulled him up. Marco pulled up his map and pointed forwards. "First shop's up that way." They continued moving forwards.

"What's the first thing on the list?" Jackie asked.

"Nose hair trimmer for my dad." Both of them recoiled slightly at the thought. "There's an appliance shop up ahead."

Jackie nodded. "Hey Marco, I've been wondering, what's the deal with you and Janna?"

Marco tensed up and paid close attention to Jackie. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she always talks about how she and you were like best friends, or whatever."

Marco closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "We were, back in kindergarten. We were practically inseparable back then. And then…" He tilted his head down to the floor. "I don't know. We just kinda grew apart. We stopped spending time together and that was that. I mean, we still hang around each other from time to time, but that's about it. Most of the time, it's to get my keys back."

Jackie rubbed on her forearm as she looked at the grey, linoleum tiles. "And when did you guys stop hanging out?"

"When you moved here and she started hanging out with you more." Marco noticed Jackie clutching her forearm even harder. "It's not your fault though, these kinds of things just happen." He placed a hand on her shoulder before she faced a sympathetic Marco. "That's how life works sometimes."

"Does it?" she asked, shifting her eyes away from Marco.

"Yeah, it's natural. Don't worry about it, Jackie." Marco opened up the map. "According to the map, we should be here right about"—he set the map down from his eyes—"now."

Marco and Jackie stood in front of a high-end shoe store.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Jackie asked. "If it is, then this would be the weirdest electronic store I've been to."

Marco fumbled with the map, opening it up. He found the electronic store on the map, where Marco was currently standing, yet no such store existed. After skimming the map several times, Marco noticed the map signified locations in the 2nd floor. A sign near a pair of escalators marked this floor as the 4th one. A scowl formed on his face.

"We're on the wrong floor."

* * *

Star bounced in place on the roller coaster car seat as it settled down at the base of the ride. A park staff member pulled the car door for her as she jumped out. Janna stumbled out her car door, almost tumbling to the floor. Star held her up, leaning the disoriented girl against her shoulder.

"That was awesome!" Janna yelled out loud.

"I know"—Star propped Janna off her shoulder, sending Janna tumbling to the ground—"sorry, sorry." Star reached a hand out to the girl on the ground.

"It's cool B-fly, it's cool." Janna latched onto Star's hand and picked herself up off the ground. She noticed the princess standing perfectly still, no shaking or wobbling at all. "Star that was the ninth time we rode that thing. How are you not even a little dizzy?" Janna wobbled forwards, stopping herself in front of Star.

The princess shrugged. "It's a Butterfly thing." Star watched the line of kids pile into the roller coaster cars. "Wanna go again?"

"Oh yeah," she said, reaching into her pockets. "Let me find some cash and"—Janna pulled out the left pocket of her sweater, only to find it devoid of any bills—"crap, I'm dry. B-fly, you got any cash on you?"

"You mean those green paper thingies? Didn't I ask you to hold onto it?"

Janna checked her other pocket, finding nothing available. "Uh oh, I might've used up your money, too."

"Oh." Star brushed Janna off and pulled out her wand. "That's fine, I got tons of disposable income." She ran towards one of the ticket stands. In front of the ticket desk, she swished her wand, materializing a chest filled to the brim with gold. "How many tickets will all this valuable gold give me?" Star asked the woman.

The person in the ticket booth inspected the chest and its contents. "Zero." Star slacked her jaw as low as she could. "Sorry ma'am, here at Hexon, we only accept cash, credit and debit. Have a nice day." The woman put on a large, toothy smile as Star and Janna backed away.

"I guess we're not getting another ride."

Star clasped onto Janna's shoulders and violently shook her back-and-forth. "Janna, we just used up all of Marco's money." She pulled out the list Marco gave. "How are we gonna buy any of this without the green thingies?"

Janna placed a hand Star's shoulder and pushed off of her. "Relax B-fly, if you know how to sneak something out, you don't even need cash."

"But Marco said—"

"I know, 'make sure she doesn't steal'," she said, imitating Marco's voice. "This is an emergency, he'll understand that we did what we had to do."

"I don't know, there's gotta be a better way—"

A guttural roar interrupted Star as a plastic card flew past the princess's face. Resident princess Brittney Wong marched towards the door, nostrils flaring like a bull and face morphing into a deep maroon colour. One of the girls from Brittney's cheer squad caught up to her.

"Girl, you need to chill," the girl told Brittney, massaging Brittney's shoulders.

"Chill?" Brittney glared at the girl, eyes squinting heavily. "How can I chill when my idiot dad can't properly follow my instructions? I asked for an Amero Express black room card. Not that gold member trash." She stomped out of the park, dragging the girl alongside her. "We're going to see Daddy in his work room. He better have an answer for this."

As soon as Brittney left Janna's line of sight, Janna picked up the plastic card Brittney chucked. She inspected it, pressing against the golden exterior. Star peeked behind her. "Hey B-Fly, I don't think shoplifting will be necessary."

"What is that?"

"I'll show you," Janna said with a smirk. They walked to the ticket stand again, as Janna held out the card. "Two tickets for the roller coaster please. Put it all on this credit card."

Star watched as the woman behind the stand snatched the card from Janna's hand and swiped it on the card reader. Before she knew it, Janna gave her a ticket on the roller coaster and grabbed the credit card back.

"Whoa"—Star snatched the credit card from Janna, taking a look at it herself. "What is this magical device?"

"It's called a credit card," Janna answered, taking the card from Star's hand.

"A…credit card?"

"Think of it as a pocket treasure chest. People from this dimension don't like carrying around loads of money all the time, so they put it all onto one card. Then they can use that card to buy things."

Euphoria rushed through Star's body as she leaned in closer to the card. "So we can buy all of Marco's stuff with this card?"

"Oh my sweet Butterfly, we can do more than that," Janna said, making a toothy smirk.

As Star and Janna made their way out the park, outside the supermall, a drone pointing towards the princess floated up to the roof.

* * *

 **To be honest, I don't know why I had so much trouble writing this chapter. I mean, nothing 'significant' really happened. I don't know why imagining a supermall would be so hard. But, with part 2 all planned out, the next chapter should come in much faster. Although, since university classes start tommorow, maybe not. Let's hope for the best.**

 **If you liked this chapter, leave a review and thanks for reading!**


	16. Let's Go To The Mall, Everybody! Part 2

**Episiode 7: Let's Go to The Mall, Everybody! Part 2**

 **Synopsis: Marco has a list of things he needs to buy by the end of the day. Star decides to go on a scavenger hunt for them in the new Hexon Supermall, where anything could be in the 100′s of stores.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
Silver Tears85**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco wrapped the boutique bag around his wrist as he exited the fragrance shop. He waved to the red-haired woman standing behind the register, stepping on the linoleum tiles. He opened his mouth and drew in a deep breath, feeling a metallic tang brush against his tongue as it departed his mouth.

"Welp, I'm not going to smell anything besides vanilla for the next few days," Marco said as he sniffed his perfume-covered sweater. "How you feeling Jackie?"

The melodies of constant, screeching hacks of air discharged out of Jackie's quivering mouth. Marco turned around to see a kneeling Jackie on her knees, sputtering out gusts of violent coughs. He gave a hand to the girl and pulled her up from the ground, as a barrage of coughs fired towards his face. Marco threw her hand down, backing away with both arms held in front of his face.

"…Sorry… Marco," Jackie stammered out between coughs. "Dear lord, that place smelt like what would happen if my mom mixed all her cheap perfume in one place and let it sit for a week."

Marco rubbed the area just beneath the back of her neck. "Let it out," Marco instructed, keeping an eye on the girl as she hacked out the last bit of fragrance. "Better?"

Jackie let out a groan as she faced Marco and nodded. As Marco held a hand out to the girl, she held out her hands in rebuttal and picked herself up off the ground.

"Okay, so." Marco set the bags on the ground and clasped onto the list in his pocket. He pulled it out, along with a pen, crossing out the perfume bottles from the list. "Cross out mom's perfume from the list, and now we need…" Marco skimmed through the page. "Toilet paper."

Jackie took in her surroundings. "One of these stores is bound to have some. And since this is Brittney's dad's supermall, he probably has some high class, fancy, schmancy kind made from silk or something."

"No need for that, I've already spent enough on this"—Marco lifted the bag above his head—"now, which of these shops sell toilet paper?"

They stopped, staring at the stretch of shops waiting ahead. Both of them groaned in unison.

"Hold on, let me get the map," Marco said as he shoved his hand into his pocket.

Jackie peered down to the floor below them over the railing, finding a group of kids rushing into the arcade in the floor below them. She tilted her head to the side while staring at the insides of the dimly-lit arcade. She tapped Marco in the shoulder.

"Marco, I think I know where we can find some toilet paper." Marco turned around to face Jackie as she grabbed Marco by the wrist and rushed to the escalators. When they stepped onto the escalator, they tottered between the congestion of customers packed in the escalator.

Marco tried his best to not obstruct or disturb anyone on the escalator, muttering apologies for every stepped-on foot. Getting dragged down the revolving stairs wasn't helping.

The girl made a break to the right, narrowly avoiding all the people in their way, jumping over various vegetation planted around the mall. When they arrived in front of the arcade, Jackie drifted to a stop, letting Marco bump into her. Marco looked inside, numerous rows arcade of cabinets were neatly placed in lines. The entire room had a dim, bluish glow.

"This doesn't look like a place that sells toilet paper."

Jackie skipped ahead of Marco. "Yeah, I know, but I was thinking we take a break for a bit." She motioned Marco to follow her. "Explore the attractions, look what else is in this so-called 'Supermall'."

Marco went over the turnstile located to the side of the arcade entrance. He passed by the counter with prizes stocked behind a callous Hexon employee reading a magazine. He slowed down when he arrived beside Jackie.

"But, the list," Marco whimpered, pulling it out of his pocket and pointing at it. "We're halfway done, we can finish this quickly, and then we're free to do whatever."

"I mean, yeah, we could, but…"Jackie leaned next to a token machine and tightly held a fist full of change. She slammed them all into the machine. Four gold-plated tokens discharged from the dispenser. Jackie scooped the pile of tokens, showing them off to Marco.  
"I don't want these perfectly good tokens to go to waste."

Marco rolled his eyes with a sigh before making a sincere smile. "You know it's really hard for me to say no."

Jackie shrugged.

"Ah, what the hey, we got time for a game," Marco relented, swiping a couple tokens from Jackie's hand. "Which game do you want to play?"

The lines of arcade cabinets extended from one side of the room to the other side. Marco lamented it would take a good half hour to even get to the other side of the arcade.

"I don't know, find one that looks good." Jackie stared down one line of cabinets. They wandered between the lines of cabinets until they unwittingly made it to the center of the store. "How about this one?"

A red-coated arcade machine with fiery décor touched the ceiling. On the massive LCD-screen, it projected a moving picture of two photo-realistic burly, muscular men. They duked it out, exchanging various acrobatic punches and kicks as the red bars above their head began to disappear pixel-by-pixel. Marco tilted his head upwards to see the title 'Karate Gladiator Death Punch 12' emblazoned in flaming letters and cartoonish blood dripping underneath the letters.

"Whoa," Marco said, lips forming a wide smile, unable to turn his eyes away from the machine as he shuffled towards it. "I didn't know they made a twelfth cabinet."

"They did, but they never released it. Legend has it that only fifty cabinets exist in the world."

Eyebrows raised, he faced Jackie and said, "You play Karate Gladiator Death Punch too?"

"Um, yeah. K.G.D.P. is like, the best thing to happen to fighting games. I've bought every last one of them, even the old, retro ones."

"Even the new, special edition version that came out last year?"

"Yup." Jackie pulled out her phone, turning it around to show off a miniature figurine attached to it. "It even came with this neat phone keychain of Kiu Lang."

Marco eyed the mini-figurine, pulling it closer to his face, examining the detail. "They even got the muscles right." A loud beeping noise caught Marco's attention, as the cabinet screen displayed a high score list. The kids in front of the cabinet walked away, freeing up space in front of the buttons and joysticks. Marco and Jackie took their places, each of them grabbing their respective joysticks. "I like to consider myself a master at K.G.D.P. In fact, I even took K.G.D.P world champion, Zero, to three rounds at Karate Con."

"Really?" Jackie asked, a sly grin forming in the corners of her mouth. She slid two tokens from the crack of her knuckles. "I've always wanted to play against a pro. But I guess you'll have to do." She inserted the tokens into the coin slot. "What do you say, Diaz?"

With a curt nod, Marco dropped his tokens into the slot and said, "Time to show you how I nearly beat a world champion."

The player select screen emerged. There were two radial dials on the screen, one on each side, portraying square portraits of the characters.

Marco rotated through each individual portrait. Underneath the dial, a full 3-D model of the character posed in various martial arts forms, sometimes making a screeching sound bite blast out the cabinet speakers. Marco inspected each individual character, comparing them with each other.

"I wanna take Mr. Eviscerator, but then I'll just get hard countered by Kiu Lang," Marco muttered to himself, rationalizing his choices. "Maybe I'll go with Paula, because she goes even against every match up. But I can't juggle her combos properly, so that's sixty percent of her damage down the drain." Marco gritted his teeth, almost giving himself a headache trying to outsmart Jackie. He peeked over to the other side of the screen.

Jackie spun the joystick around and let the dial rotate non-stop. She pulled out her phone as the dial continued to spin.

"What are you doing?" Marco asked.

Jackie shrugged.

"You can't just pick your fighter at random." Marco waved his arms around to get his point across. "You'll get hard-countered, or misplay a match up."

Jackie tapped the red button, as the wheel stopped at Rugo, a massive rock monster. "Don't over-complicate things Marco, it's a game where you just mash buttons."

With eyes twitching, Marco faced Jackie before taking a moment to collect himself. "No, Jackie, it's a game of wit and precision." Marco locked in Dax, a Chihuahua with a sombrero. "Let me show you how it's done."

The game loaded up on the screen. Marco and Jackie grasped onto their respective joysticks and placed their fingers on the buttons. The words 'Fight' materialized on screen.

Jackie bent the joystick to the left and slammed on the red button, making Rugo charge towards Dax. Eyes closed, Marco flicked the joystick upwards and on screen Dax collided with Rugo beneath the chin.

"Wanna see why they banned this little thing in tournaments?"

With a couple of button taps, the tiny Chihuahua knocked the enormous rock monster into the air. Dax phased through Rugo as he reappeared on top, slamming him on top of his head. As Rugo tumbled through the ground, Dax dashed underneath him and knocked him back up in the air. And again, Dax dashed on top of Rugo, smacking the rock monster to the ground.

Jackie jerked her joystick in all directions and battered every button on her side. None of them could stop the infinite chaining loop Marco pulled off with Dax.

"Marco, stop, I can't do anything," Jackie said, as she clenched her jaw along with the joystick.

"Exactly." Marco tapped the buttons in rhythmic succession, chipping Rugo's health bar bit-by-bit. "It's impossible to counter a Dax chain." Marco peered over to Jackie's side of the machine, and chuckled under his breath as she slammed the button pad with her fist.

Phone vibrating, Marco took his hand off the joystick, sticking it into his pocket and pulling it out. He swiped his phone to unlock it, revealing a selfie of Star and Janna covered in jewelry. Marco swallowed his laughter, turning his phone off and putting it back into his pocket. When Marco faced back towards the screen, he could only watch as Rugo curb-stomped Dax on the arena floor until the last bit of Dax's health disappeared.

"Rugo wins," announced the arcade cabinet.

"Hey, no fair, I had to pick up the phone!"

"Eh, you didn't tell me to pause," Jackie said, in a caustic tone.

Marco's eyes twitched.

The next round began, Marco ensured he held on his controls.

On screen, Dax and Rugo charged towards each other. With a flick of the joystick, Dax dashed through Rugo, re-emerging behind him. The Chihuahua hooked the goliath and hurled him to the ground. As Rugo bounced on the ground, Dax chained his air combo once again.

Marco kept his eyes on the screen, making sure Dax didn't stop the infinite combo until the last of Rugo's health vanished.

"Dax wins."

"Man, how am I supposed to deal with that annoying Chihuahua?" Jackie asked.

"Hard counters," Marco said. "There's Vidalia, whose down combo can break any infinite loops. Or go with Slade, where it's impossible for any melee without a pull to even touch him."

The final round opened with Marco keeping Dax in place, while Jackie commanded Rugo to lunge towards Dax.

"I pretty much have this in the bag."

Jackie wiggled her stick, but nothing could stop the infinite combo. She took a moment to ponder another strategy for victory, as Rugo's health deteriorated. She leaned to her left, noticing the loose strap on her tank top.

"Oh no, my strap fell off," Jackie cried, nudging her shoulder strap off.

Marco looked to the right, catching a glimpse of Jackie's shoulder, unobstructed by clothing. He peered closer at her chest, modestly covered by a pink, floral tank top. He didn't notice Jackie flicking her stick upwards.

The sound of a crashing meteor caught Marco's attention, as Dax laid in the smoldering crater on the ground, Rugo standing over him.

"Rugo Wins," the cabinet announced, "player 2 wins."

Jackie turned away from the screen and looked at Marco's semi-blushing and visibly flustered face. "I never play with the dog ever, because he's so fragile," she said as he lifted her strap back on her shoulder.

"Yeah, but… you distracted me, that's no fair."

Jackie's lips formed a wry smile. "Maybe next time don't look, you perv," she said, chuckling underneath her breath.

* * *

At the massive department store, Star and Janna waited as the cashier swiped through many packages of 'Banagic Wands', picking each individual box from the shopping cart.

"Why do we need so many Banagics?" Star asked.

"I don't know." Janna took one of the boxes and flipped it up in the air, making a slight grin to the side. "Why not?"

"That'll be $1045.98," the cashier announced.

Star froze in place. "Whoa, that sounds like a lot of money. I don't think Marco even carries that much money around."

"With this credit card, you don't need to," Janna said as a sly grin formed. She took out the credit card and handed it over to the cashier. With a single swipe of the card, the two girls soon left the store with a cart filled with 'Banagic Wands' and a credit card.

Star swiped the card off Janna's hand. "Can this mini treasure chest buy anything?"

"Yeah it can," Janna said. She rolled the cart through the mall floor, shuffling through mall patrons and staff alike. "Maybe we could buy an easier way to carry these things around."

"Excuse me, ma'am," an elderly man in a black tuxedo called out. "Do you need help with carrying your belongings? Here at Hexon, we will gladly hold onto any purchases for you as you explore the over seven hundred stores. For a price of course."

Star held out the credit card towards the man. "Do you take credit?"

The man whistled as a group of burly, muscular men in tuxedoes appeared behind him. "Of course."

Star smiled as she handed the card over. "This is going to be fun."

They made their way to their first stop, a jewellery store, with burly men in tow.

Star picked out a massive ruby pendant from one of the cases. Janna tried on multiple rings, slipping as many of them on as she could.

"We'll take one of everything."

Star and Janna took a selfie while endowed in many pieces of jewellery as they left the store. One of the burly men carried the entire stores worth of jewellery with both hands.

"Where to now?" Star asked.

"There's an excellent dress shop on the first floor." The old man led them to an elevator door covered in gold plating. "As gratitude for choosing Hexon for your shopping needs, take a ride on Hexon's private elevator service." Star, Janna and their entourage packed into the elevator.

As the elevator descended, a dull pain pulsed in Janna's thigh. "How much would it cost for a piggyback ride?" Janna asked one of the burly men.

"Extra."

Janna nabbed the card out of Star's hand and gave it to the burly man. "You know what to do with it."

When the elevator doors opened, Star and Janna squealed as they rode on the backs of strong, muscular men.

A few people turned their attention to loud, rambunctious laughter of two teenaged girls riding on the backs of two grown men.

"We paid for this," Janna said.

In the dress shop, Star and Janna took turns putting on different dresses.

Star came out the dressing room with a blue, strapless dress with a bow tied around her waist popping out her back. Hair swished to the side, she strode out the dressing room, twirling like a ballerina to show off the outfit to Janna.

"What do you think?" Star asked, twirling once more.

"I don't know, you'd look good in anything." Janna took in her surroundings; thousands of dresses filled the store.

"Well, I don't know about that…" Star picked out a pink lace dress with floral prints on the chest. "I don't know if I have time to try them all on. Janna, do you think we have time to—"

The cash register rung, echoing across the store. Another burly man in a tuxedo carried a pile of dress out the store.

"We can try them all out later." Janna moved to the side, as another group of burly men left the store, dresses on hand.

Star shrugged. "Works for me."

Janna jumped on the back of a man in a tuxedo. "Tally ho!"

Star hopped onto the back of one of the men, heading off directionless. She took a picture on her phone of the two of them piggybacking on the men.

"Where to, Janna?"

Janna clutched her stomach as it rumbled, catching Star's attention. "I could use something to eat."

A pang of hunger struck deep into Star's stomach. "Yeah, I'm hungry too.

"Hungry you say," the elderly man inquired. "Here at Hexon, we have over a hundred different choices of restaurants. We'll be sure to find something that will satisfy."

Janna handed the card over to the old man. "Give me your most expensive dishes."

"Excellent choice, ma'am."

One train ride later, Star and Janna arrived to a banquet of freshly prepared meals, resting on the table. Star recognized many of the earthly dishes, from lobster, a platter of exotic vegetables, the turkey set in the middle of the table, among other dishes as the cluttered table stretched to both sides of the room. One of the servers helped the chef find a place for the roasted pig.

A drop of saliva slipped out from Star's mouth, the aroma of luxurious delicacies resting underneath her nose. "I don't even know what half these things are, but I want them in my mouth right now," Star muttered under her moist, salivated breath.

The old man in the tuxedo swiped the card through his portable reader. "Now that everything's been paid off"—One of the workers handed both girls cutlery and dining plates—"feel free to dig in."

Both girls sprinted to the table.

"Dibs on the lobster," cried Janna, with Star rushing to the other side of the table.

A drone looked into the banquet from the window. It extended its lens, pointing it closer to Star.

* * *

"Cross that out and… we're down to the last thing on the list." Marco's phone vibrated in his pocket. He swiped it to find another picture message sent to him. This time it was Star and Janna huddled together on top of the backs of two muscular men in tuxedoes. Head tilted to the side, he tried to make sense of the context behind the picture, only to start questioning the picture even harder.

"Whatcha looking at, Marco?" Jackie asked.

"It's another Star and Janna selfie, this time riding on top of strong, burly men."

"Let me see"—Jackie pulled on Marco's hand, holding the phone, pulling it towards her—"that's adorable," she giggled.

"Yeah"—Marco shoved his phone back into his pocket—"still, makes you wonder how they got there in the first place."

"Please, Janna's got herself in weirder places. This is basically an average Saturday for—"

Jackie slammed into a massive wall of pectoral muscles and well-defined chest. She lifted her head up to see Justin—her ex-boyfriend—in front of her.

Both of them stumbled back a few steps. Jackie held her hands out in front of her before easing up the tension. Justin pressed his hand behind his neck, trying to mumble out words.

"H-hey, Jackie," Justin said, "I haven't seen you in a while; how've you been?"

For Jackie, time began to slow down as she willed herself to maintain a steady voice. "Um, I'm fine I guess, could be a little better."

"That's good to hear. I haven't seen you at the study group, so I got a little bit worried."

"Oh that's right, I forgot about that," Jackie said, clearing her throat. "Sorry, I've been busy."

"That's cool, that's cool, feel free to come in whenever." Both of them let a pause draw out the conversation.

Marco stood behind Jackie, watching the two drag out an awkward exchange. Instinctively, Marco began to fidget his hands behind his back, prying his eyes away from the two.

"So anyways, Brittney invited the entire football team and cheer squad for a get-together at Hexon Heights, that hotel attached the mall," Justin said. "They got pool and a bungie cord and a lot of other things Brittney hasn't mentioned. You're invited to come… if you want."

Jackie took a moment to consider his offer. Marco and Jackie shifted their eyes towards each other. "I don't know, can Marco come along."

"Marco? Oh"—Justin noticed the boy in the red hoodie—"didn't notice you there at all, Marco. How's it going?"

"G-good I guess," Marco said, rubbing his shoulder.

"That's cool. Um, if I could bring him along, I would; but there's just not enough space. So—"

"Yo, Justin!" One of the football players interrupted. "We're headin' up to the hotel, remember to get the drinks before you go up. There's plenty of space, so no need to rush."

Justin's face reddened. He tried to avoid eye contact with both Marco and Jackie, pacing backwards away from the two. "Well, I should head off. Jackie, if you decide to come, just give me a shout and I'll let you in." Justin turned away and rushed for one of the escalators. "Bye guys, it's been great seeing you again."

Marco and Jackie waved as Justin disappeared down the escalators.

"Finally," Jackie said, sighing deeply. "Bungie jumping sounds so fun. It's too bad you weren't invited, otherwise I probably would've gone. Oh well."

Marco glanced away from Jackie, holding his hands behind his back. A bit of anxiety crept into his thoughts as he replayed Jackie's previous statement over-and-over in his mind. His stomach began to feel strange, as the acids bubbled inside.

"I could probably finish the list by myself, if you want."

Jackie stopped and faced Marco. "Wait, what?"

"There's only one thing left on the list, I could probably find it myself. You could leave now and find Justin, you'll probably have a better time with him," Marco said, as he pulled the list out. "Bungie jumping sounds fun and it wouldn't feel right to hold you back from it."

"Marco…" Jackie walked back to Marco, slipping her arm around his shoulders. "It's not fun going to those things by myself. Especially when my ex and Brittney Wong are in the same room. That's why I'd rather you to accompany me. I need a friend with me."

Marco looked into Jackie's eyes with a smile. "I thought you had plenty of friends there."

"What? You mean the football team? Nah, they're just acquaintances, if anything. And I think most of the cheer squad are pompous snobs, especially Brittney. The only reason I went to her birthday party was because I wanted to know what a party bus would look like."

Marco chuckled quietly. "Still, would you want to miss out on Bungie jumping for me?"

"Of course," Jackie replied with a sincere smile. "It's actually been super fun hanging out with you, stupid infinite loops aside."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." Jackie slid Marco's hair away from his eyes. "I never knew how cool you were until we actually started talking."

Tears welled up beneath Marco's eyelids as he continued to smile.

"Are you crying?" Jackie asked.

Marco took the sleeves of his sweater and wiped his eyes with it. "No, it's just the dust bothering my eyes."

"If you say so," Jackie said. She pulled the list out of Marco's hands, taking a ride on the escalator. "Come on, Marco, let's finish this list."

Marco closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before catching up to Jackie. "Right behind you, Jackie."

* * *

 **I really wanted this to be 2 parts. But then scenes I thought were gonna be short turned longer than I expected. So now there's gonna be a part 3. Hopefully I'll find time between classes to write that up. Then there's another piece of writing that's related (pivotal, almost) to _A Season of Star_ _VS_ that I have to write before _The Hunter or The Hunted_. So yeah, that's my plan. **

**Leave a review if you want, and thanks for reading**


	17. Let's Go To The Mall, Everybody! Part 3

**Last part of episode 7. Thank you for being patient**

 **Episiode 7: Let's Go to The Mall, Everybody! Part 3**

 **Synopsis: Marco has a list of things he needs to buy by the end of the day. Star decides to go on a scavenger hunt for them in the new Hexon Supermall, where anything could be in the 100′s of stores.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
Silver Tears85**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The drone drifted towards a building attached to the mall; a luxury hotel towering above the supermall.

"Mommy, what's that?" A child asked, pointing to the drone. It blended into the atmosphere, vanishing from sight.

"Honey, that's a cloud," His mother replied.

The child tilted his head, squinting at the spot where he last saw the drone.

The drone stopped in front of one of the hotel windows, extending its lens to get a clearer picture of the room.

* * *

"What do you mean the pool's been reserved?!" Brittney raged, slamming her hands on the reception desk. Her posse of football players and cheerleaders behind her began fidgeting amongst each other, looking away from the girl letting out a tantrum in front of the hotel receptionist.

"Sorry Ms. Wong, even if you're the heiress of Hexon, you still have to follow company policy. You should have booked your reservation earlier, it was available thirty minutes ago."

Brittney clenched her hands into fists as her body twitched uncontrollably. "My daddy owns this stupid hotel, I don't need a reservation."

"Sorry, company policy." The receptionist shrugged.

"Who would even have enough money for a reservation for this place?"

"I don't know," the receptionist said, as she pointed to the other side of the lobby. "Those girls."

* * *

Star and Janna waited for the receptionist to finish the necessary administrative work. A squad of burly, muscular men in tuxedoes held all of their purchases they had made that day. One of them carried bags of Goth apparel. Another struggled to hold onto the pile of jewelry and expensive perfumes. Janna stuck her hand into one of the bags, grabbing a wad of gum out of it.

"Ladies," their receptionist called out, waiting for the two girls to come up to the desk. "Just to be clear, can we go through the list of amenities you asked for."

Star and Janna nodded.

"Okay, so you girls ordered the ultimate package, which includes a two week stay at our Hexon penthouse on the top floor, with access to our complimentary concierge service and breakfast." The receptionist scrolled down the page further. "Along with private access to our swimming facilities, the spa and tanning facilities, and Hexon's new bungie jumping center."

"Yeah, that sounds about right"—Janna faced towards Star—"B-fly, what did you check off when I gave you that list?"

"Everything."

"Oh," Janna said, "okay, that's fine."

"Alright, so your total is—"

"I don't care," Janna said, sliding the credit card to the receptionist. "Put it on the card."

The receptionist shrugged, taking the card.

"What do you think you two losers are doing?" Brittney stomped towards Star and Janna.

"Hi, Brittney," Star babbled. "Janna and I are going Bungie jumping, whatever that is. Wanna join? You can bring your friends with you." Star hovered over Brittney's head. "Do any you guys wanna come along?"

The crowd behind Brittney murmured in agreement. Brittney gritted her teeth.

"Um, no." Brittney slammed her fist on the table and leaned on top of Star. "This is my hotel! I had a get-together planned today, and I'm not letting you two hog the hotel for yourselves!"

"Hey, we paid good money for this," Janna said, "and we intend to get our money's worth for the amenities."

"Ma'am, your credit card has been maxed out."

Janna gasped as a tingling sensation began to rest on her shoulders. "Oh crap."

"Don't worry," the receptionist said, handing the credit card back to Janna. "Since you're a gold member at Amero, you can call them to extend your credit limit."

"Amero gold member?" Brittney muttered under her breath.

"We'll hold your reservation for you if you'd like," the receptionist said.

"Um, you know what," Janna said, stiffening her smile, "just cancel it." Janna dropped the credit card on the desk and grabbed Star, running for the elevator leading back to the supermall. "Let's go, Star, we have to go, right now."

"Janna, what did she mean by 'maxed out'?" Star asked.

"It means you two are screwed."

Janna and Star turned around to see Brittney Wong clutching onto the credit card. Brittney's nostrils flared and her face boiled with intensity. Behind her, a squad of men wearing shades and navy-blue vests popped out.

"This is my credit card," Brittney said, pointing at it. "I don't know how you two got it—"

"You chucked it to the side when we were at the rides," one of the cheerleaders explained.

"Shut it!" Brittney paced in front of the two girls. "There was a five-hundred _thousand_ dollar credit limit on that card and you girls managed to use every last penny of it."

Star and Janna peeked behind their shoulders, looking at the mass of men holding the assortment of products they bought with Brittney's credit card. They looked at each other.

"Five-hundred thousand is, like, _nothing_ on earth, right?" Star asked.

"Depends on the country." Behind Janna, a Hexon worker dropped a pile of jewellery on the ground and scrambled to pick it back up.

"You two will either pay for all the expenses made with this card right now, or I'll tell Daddy, and he'll send the two of you to jail."

Janna pulled Star by the wrist as she backed away from Brittney and the squad of burly men. "Star, you can get us out of this, right?" Janna asked. "I'm too young to go to jail."

"I don't know, Earth jail can't be as bad as St. O's," Star mulled over as she gnawed the top of her wand.

Janna clutched onto Star tighter as Brittney and the Hexon workers inched closer to them. "Star—"

A puff of smoke billowed into the room. In the midst of confusion, Star grabbed one of the boutique bags and a Banagic Wand from one of the Hexon workers. "Grab anything you can, and run!"

Star and Janna cleared the smoke from their vision as they made it to the elevators. Janna jammed on the elevator buttons as Hexon guards and workers popped out of the smoke.

Star blasted one of the elevator doors open, revealing a system of ropes and hydraulics.

"Down the ropes!" Star commanded, sliding down the nylon threads.

One of the workers pounced towards Janna. Reflexively, she hopped onto the rope, sliding down the shaft as the worker struck the ground.

The roped scraped Star's hand as she descended the shaft. She powered her wand, aiming it at a pair of elevator doors they were approaching.

Star burst opened one of the doors and jumped out the shaft. Janna rolled beside her.

"So this is what rope burn feels like," Janna said as she balled her inflamed hands into fists.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

More security guards dashed towards the two girls. Star readied her wand.

"Mini-Narwhal Hailstorm!" A flurry of narwhals battered the squad of mall cops as they failed to cover themselves from the adorable onslaught.

"Its horn's stuck in my eye!" one of guards cried.

Star and Janna vaulted over the hunched-over guards. They sprinted through the hallway of stores as more guards gave chase to the girls.

"Rainbow Rocket Burst!" Star held her wand from behind, grabbing Janna by the wrist. A stream of rainbows propelled them down the hallway. They knocked over a blockade of guards, rushing past them effortlessly.

Janna looked back at the mass of guards on the ground, laughing under her breath. She peered down, finding the floor to be a lot farther than she expected.

The rainbows flowing out of Star's wand petered out over the safety railing.

Janna stared down to the floor beneath them, all the way down to the bottom of the mall.

"Uh oh."

Star and Janna screamed as they plunged down through the mall. As Janna clutched onto Star's torso, Star shook her wand vigorously.

A bubble surrounded the two of them. It smashed onto the ground.

Eyes closed, Janna braced for the worst as the bubble bounced across the bottom floor of the mall. Janna opened her eyes, watching the mall patrons scurry away from the massive bouncing ball. Janna embraced this, letting herself get lifted as the bubble rose in the air.

Star lost herself in the bubble, giggling as it bounced across the tops of various mall stands. The bubble popped, and the two girls slid across the ground. They bumped into the side of the escalator, as the two girls squealed and laughed together.

Janna brought herself up off the ground, feeling almost rejuvenated as the adrenaline rushed through her body.

"Star, that was… that was awesome."

Star couldn't contain her smile; not that she tried to. "I know, it totally was." She stared at her wand. "I have to remember that spell for next time."

Janna noticed the other shoppers moving out the way as a squad of guards approached, on motor scooters. "You know the way out?"

"Nope."

* * *

"… Well, now that I've broken up with Justin, there's been less stains to clean, so there's that," Jackie said, eyes closed, mulling over the thought. "So now you know, Marco, always give her a little warning whenever it's about to happen." Jackie opened her eyes when she didn't hear a response. "Marco?"

Legs crossed, Marco fidgeted on the train seat, tensing up while pushing down his lap with both hands.

"You okay, Marco?"

Marco lifted his arm and slanted his hand downwards. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Really? 'Cuz it looks like you're—"

"I'm fine," Marco mustered, forcing unconvincing grin.

"If you say so," Jackie said, shifting closer to Marco. "Anyways, who do you _like_?"

Marco faced Jackie. "What?"

"I don't know, any girl you interested in? Just curious," Jackie said with a shrug.

Marco stared up to the train car roof and said, "Yeah." He stared straight towards Jackie's face, noticing her teal highlight covering her eye. His eyes caught a glimpse at her confident smirk plastered on her face. It was something that always drew Marco's attention. Marco turned the other way. "There's this girl I've liked for a while now—"

"And that would be…"

"I won't say. But, I've known this girl for a long time, and we've only started talking recently."

"Why recently?" Jackie asked. "Don't tell me you've never talked to her before."

"I have, just… not often." Marco darted his eyes to the train floor. "It's hard talking to girls when you know that saying one wrong thing will just ruin everything."

"Well, you've been talking to me all day."

Marco's eyes lit up as he realized Jackie was right. _I have been talking to her all day,_ Marco thought.

"And I count as a girl, right?" Jackie sat up straight, snapping her spine back in place. "Okay Marco, pretend that I'm the girl you've been liking for a while." The irony didn't cross Marco's mind. "How would you ask me out on a date?"

Marco contemplated in his train seat for a moment. He turned around to Jackie and noticed her slouched on the side of train, with the same confident grin. Marco attempted to remain unfazed against Jackie's aura of calmness.

"Hey, I'm Marco. We go to the same school; they call me 'safe kid', but don't let that name fool you, I'm all about danger and excitement. I'm a misunderstood bad boy, you know?"

Jackie chuckled and said, "Keep going."

"There's this new artisan coffee shop that opened close by, and I was wondering if you want to go together some time. My treat."

"See that was perfect," Jackie said. "Personally, I'm not into overly fancy coffees, but I would've accepted. "

Marco's mind went fuzzy as his surroundings blurred together; only Jackie remained sharp and clear.

"Don't worry about finding 'the right words' Marco, you're practically a natural at it. There are other things you should pay attention to—"

"Keep moving, Janna!"

Star and Janna zoomed past Marco and Jackie's train car in a scooter propelled by a stream of rainbows.

Mall police sirens echoed across the mall as a mob of mall cops chased the two girls on their own scooters.

"What was that?" Marco asked.

"Something that requires our attention."

* * *

Star and Janna reached the center of the mall, mall cops tailing behind them. They ditched their scooter.

Star redirected the stream of rainbows to the squad of mall cops, knocking them off their scooters.

"The exit should be down one of these hallways," Star said.

Janna took in her surroundings, noticing the numerous hallways and openings that surrounded the center.

"Which one?"

"I don't know, whichever Marco and I came from.

The crowd of mall shoppers scurried to the side, letting the burly security team pass by.

Star aimed her wand at the approaching horde.

"Butterfly Tranfo-splosion!" A flood of butterflies rushed towards the horde. The squad of mall cops skidded to a stop as the butterflies fluttered in front of them. The butterflies morphed into mini fire crackers.

Star and Janna jogged in the other direction. Sparks crackled in the air as both girls ducked beneath them. The air was filled with screams, obscenities and miniature explosions.

"This way," Star said, pointing to corridor with train tracks.

A Hexon guard sprinted towards them; Star readied her wand.

Janna vaulted over Star and slammed her foot against the guard's knee. The guard kneeled on the ground. Eyes on his holster, Janna grabbed the baton. With it, she smacked him across the face. He slumped to the ground with a huff.

"Whoa, that looked brutal."

Janna chuckled. "Yeah, I've learnt more in Juvie than in school." Janna smacked the next guard across the face the same way.

Star fired a barrage of multi-coloured beams of light, battering the horde of mall cops. Janna fended off the approaching guards with the baton.

More hordes of guards flushed into the atrium, surrounding the girls, feet pounding the tiles.

"How many of these guys did Mr. Wong hire?" Janna asked, slamming her knee against the guard's crotch.

Star held her wand above her head, lighting it up. "Not enough." The star insignia glowed.

"Angelic Death-Nado!"

A swirl of smoke and clouds materialized above their heads. It gave way for a yellowish rift between dimensions. A flock of angelic creatures descended in droves. They serenaded the room with their harmonies as the flock began to fly in a circle around the circular pit.

Everyone stared above, as more angels descended from the portal, faster. They rushed in a circle, drawing up wind. People levitated above the ground; the wind showed no signs of slowing down against everyone's pleas. The gusts of wind lifted everyone toward the glass ceiling. A few knocked into the stone statue of Mr. Wong. The crowds of people spun in-sync with the angels. None of them ceased screaming, as mall merchandise swirled in the tornado.

The angels flew back into the portal, as everyone slammed back onto the ground. Hexon employees piled onto customers as they hit the floor.

"Bye, Star!" The angels called out in unison.

"We love you, Star!"

Star and Janna gently drifted to the tiled floor. The princess waved at the angels as they left, ignoring the screams of people raining down.

"Come on, Janna," Star said, grabbing her by the wrist, "I know the way out."

"E.C.P.D. put your hands in the air!" A squad of Echo Creek Police officers moved into the atrium.

Janna raised both arms up. Star powered up her wand, aiming it at the police—

All the officers pulled out their guns towards Star. She dropped her wand and held her arms up.

* * *

Marco and Jackie hopped off the side of the train as it stopped in the atrium of the mall. Shoppers and mall security alike littered the floor; either lying on the ground, groaning in pain, or struggling to pull themselves back up.

Marco looked around the atrium. The walls were cracked or crumbling, as bits of cement and rocks broke away. He tried his best to step around the debris of miscellaneous merchandise, pulling Jackie up, helping her avoid it.

"You know, I think this is the most damage I've seen Janna cause in a single day," Jackie said.

The statue of Mr. Wong tumbled into the ground, snapping it in half.

"I'm just glad Star didn't black hole this place into oblivion."

Jackie stepped on top of a boutique bag. She ignored the bag when she saw Dale and another officer cuff Star and Janna.

"Marco"—Jackie pulled his head towards the scene—"I found them."

"Star?!"

The cuffs made it difficult for Janna to wave to the two, so she settled for a smile.

"Hiya Marco," Star said sheepishly, forcing a half-hearted grin. "I got into a little trouble."

"A little?" The chandelier crashed into the ground, behind Marco.

"Well, Marco, Jackie" Dale said, walking up to him, "your friends here are in more than just a little trouble. We got one count of destruction of private property, one count of disturbing the peace, _fourteen_ counts of assaulting mall officers between each of them—"

"And don't forget the fact they blew my entire credit card," Brittney exclaimed. She stomped her way over to them.

A diminutive Asian man shuffled beside her.

"Mr. Wong?" everyone said.

"Yes, it is I, Mr. Wong." He stopped himself in front of Star and Janna, both trying to squirm their hands out of their cuffs. "And I'm very disappointed in the two of you. Here at Hexon, we treat you with the utmost respect and are willing to serve you for maximum comfort. But I would never expect any of my guests to vandalize my property. This makes me really sad, you know."

"Uh…" Star shifted her eyes away from Mr. Wong, grimacing while clenching her teeth tight.

"And to top it all off, you stole my daughter's credit card, and used it for your own selfish needs."

Janna raised her head up and said, "Hey, she practically threw the card at us, what were we supposed to do?"

"Not commit credit card fraud?" Marco chimed in.

"Not helping, Diaz."

"Well, the damages from raving this atrium will run up to millions of dollars"—As soon as Mr. Wong said millions, Marco, Star, Jackie and Janna tensed up, stiffening immediately—"but I'm a considerate man. I know you kids don't have the money to pay to cover all the damages."

A man in a black leather blazer bent down to Mr. Wong and handed him a piece of paper. Mr. Wong sauntered up to Marco, as a trio of Hexon employees bent down to form a makeshift staircase up to Marco's head. Mr. Wong stepped on top of their backs until he stared face-to-face with the boy. "You're the caretaker of these two delinquents, I assume."

"Um, sure, I guess," he replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Can I trust you to pay for only one percent of my sweet princess's credit card balance? That seems fair and reasonable."

"I would say so." Marco grabbed the bill from Mr. Wong's hand. He took a closer inspection at the bottom of the page. His eyes bulged out of the sockets, beads of sweat rained down the back of his neck as his breath began to stagger out. There were a lot of zeroes attached to the five on the bottom left side of the page.

"By one percent, do you mean one percent of five-hundred thousand?"

"Well yes. You even said it was fair."

Marco's heart sank. "I did, didn't I? Why would you ever trust your daughter with half-a-million dollars?"

Brittney leered towards Marco and growled, clenching her teeth.

Mr. Wong rubbed the top of her head with the palm of his hand. "Because she's my princess, and I'll spoil her as I please." He clapped twice, as a burly Hexon worker picked him up and propped him on his shoulder. "If you can't pay up, then I'll just have to let 'the system' take care of them." He turned his head towards the squad of officers. "Take them away, officers."

Brittney watched on with glee.

Star and Janna looked at Marco with desperate, pleading eyes.

Marco looked at Jackie for ideas, only to find a shrug. He eyed the debris-filled ground as the officers escorted the two girls in cuffs.

"Wait!" Marco interrupted. Mr. Wong turned around, along with the other police officers. "Isn't there another way we can repay you? Can't they work it off or something?"

Mr. Wong rested fingers on his chin and said, "Well, Ms. Butterfly and her rabble-rouser of a friend injured most of our Hexon escorts. Now we're short-staffed, and we need a lot of workers to keep up with my princess, Brittney."

Star forced a sheepish grin as the Hexon worker set Mr. Wong down in front of the two bound girls.

"I'll tell you what, you two can work the debt off. If you can come in every Saturday for the next six months, and tend to Brittney's whims, among other mall duties, the damages will be forgiven." Mr. Wong extended a hand out to the girls, as the officers un-cuffed them. "What do you girls say?"

Star and Janna took a moment and looked at each other. "Every Saturday? With Brittney?"

Mr. Wong nodded.

"I mean, is Earth jail even that bad?" Star asked.

"Not really, you don't pay taxes, plus there's free food."

"I like free food. Marco, what do you—"

Marco and Jackie stared at them with flared tempers and disgruntled expressions.

"Every Saturday it is!" Star said, shaking hands with Mr. Wong.

* * *

"—you'd probably be looking at ten to twenty-five years minimum, if you're lucky," Marco said. "And that's why you should never use anyone's credit card without permission. Even if she probably deserved it." Star looked at him attentively, while Janna stared out the bus window. "Are we clear?"

Both girls nodded.

"Good," Marco said, letting out a deep breath. He shifted the bags between himself and Jackie. "It's too bad we couldn't finish the list. You guys had the perfect opportunity to buy everything with that credit card."

"Didn't even need it, Marco"—Janna unzipped her bag, pulling out a Hexon bag and tossed it over to Marco—"For a state-of-the-art mall, they really need to beef up their security."

Marco looked inside, to find the remaining half of items he asked for. He tentatively tossed it to the side. "I'm not touching any of this! I had nothing to do with this! I'm not going to jail for this!"

Jackie slid the bag closer to Marco. "You needed to finish the list, and she did," Jackie said. "And besides, I think you'd do great in jail." Jackie tilted her head to the side and gave Marco a wink.

"Yeah, I can see it now," Janna said. "Marco Diaz, hardened criminal."

Marco let out a forced chuckle and said, "Thanks for the encouragement."

"Don't mention it, Diaz." Janna stood up as the bus rolled to a stop. She messed with Marco's hair before skipping over to the bus door. "See ya," Janna said with a wave.

Jackie followed Janna out the bus. "Bye, Marco." Marco and Jackie waved at each other as the girl exited the bus.

Marco peered out the window and stared at Jackie as she walked away from the stop. Jackie turned around, composing a genuine smile that lingered as the bus drove off. Marco looked forwards, noticing Star slide beside him. She squealed and giggled, wrapping her arms around Marco.

"Did I just see you two share a smile there?"

"Yup."

Star nuzzled her head underneath Marco's and asked, "Seriously, when are you two gonna start dating?"

Marco shrugged. "Whenever, I guess."

* * *

When Percy was eight, he sucker punched a girl in the face. He couldn't recall why he did it, but he remembered the pained sobs she let out as she covered her battered face. He looked at his bloodied knuckles, then back at the crying girl. Percy clutched his heart, feeling it break as he watched the tears drip down her bruised cheek.

On that day, Percy vowed never to hit a girl ever again.

He tried his best to maintain that promise, but every time, circumstances arose where he was forced to break that vow.

Mercenary work doesn't discriminate between targets. It doesn't matter if your target was female or not; it was your target and it was your primary objective. As Percy learned, everybody wanted someone disposed of. That was the mercenaries' job, no questions asked.

Percy did find a way of keeping his promise; delegate the work to someone willing to do it.

When Percy found the perfect candidates willing to do his bidding, he grabbed every corthite empowered weapon on the table, stuffed it into his bag and transformed into an electrical current, traveling along the electrical grid.

The first time Percy performed this years ago, the lightning-fast speed of travel through electricity made him nauseous. He broke free of the grid and collapsed onto the ground, knocking himself out cold.

Overtime, he's gotten used to the speed of the electrical currents. He's even learned how to stop in the electrical line, almost halting the flow of electricity.

When he recognized Brittney Wong and her cheerleader friend walking down the street, he grounded himself to halt and listened in on their conversation. He noticed his drone still pointing its lens to the ground.

"They got off _way_ too easily," Brittney said, "I swear, my dad has no backbone."

"Girl, they have to do whatever you want for the next six months. Just abuse them, Brittney."

"Oh, I will"—Brittney pulled out her useless credit card and snapped it in half—"but they should be rotting in a cell in the middle of nowhere. If I had it my way, Star Butterfly and that other girl wouldn't be standing right now.

Percy fired himself into a bolt of lightning striking in front of Brittney.

Brittney and her friend staggered back, tumbling to their backs as Percy materialized in front of them.

"Well, if you wanna do a job right, you gotta do it yourself." Percy stepped up to Brittney, reaching a hand out to her.

Brittney pushed herself up off the ground and said, "You must be one of Star's 'friends' aren't you?"

"Friend?" Percy asked, perplexed. "Nah, not entirely. I was just in the neighbourhood to pick something up from her."

"Who are you?" Brittney's cheerleader friend asked.

"The name's Percival Leopold Middleton the third. But I reckon, you can just call me Percy for short."

"Okay…" Brittney leaned forwards. "What do you want, Percy?"

"Well, I overheard Star givin' you a lot distress over a card—"

"A card?!" Brittney interrupted. "It isn't just 'a card', it's an Amero Gold with half-a-million in it. They used up all my allowance, and daddy refuses to give me anymore until next week."

"That sounds terrible. Sounds like Star needs to get her comeuppance."

"Right?" Brittney extended both arms out in anger. "But no, she gets off with six months of labour, because my idiot dad's too much of a wuss to send her off to prison. I swear, I want to stomp—"

"Like, I said"—Percy emptied his bag on the ground, revealing a variety of chrome-plated rifles with a bluish aura—"you gotta do the job yourself in order to do it right. How well can you fire a laser rifle?"

Brittney reached out for one of the rifles, eyes widened.

"Brittney, this doesn't look very—"

"Shut it," Brittney cried out. She picked the largest rifle out of the pile, and looked down its scope. "What's the meaning behind this?"

"I'm givin' you the means to 'do the job right'. I don't want to hurt her myself, but I know you want to get rid of her." Percy positioned Brittney's arms properly with the weapon. "Try firin' it for yourself. Aim at that flyin' drone thingy up there."

Brittney aimed the laser rifle and pulled the trigger.

A red beam fired out the muzzle. It struck the drone, shattering it into multiple pieces that rained down.

"How did that feel?" Percy asked.

"That was… nice."

"Now, do you wanna see the same thing happen to Star? Personally, I don't, but this isn't about me."

Brittney nodded.

"Are you willing to 'do the job right'?"

Brittney nodded with a fervent grin. "Yes," Brittney hissed.

"Good. I'll be in touch."

* * *

 **And that's it. That was a harder chapter to write than I thought it would be. Ah well, I'm off to do the next episode. I don't think I'll have to write up "The Will of Xeno and Aletheia" poem. I'll just mention it in parts next episode.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading**


	18. The Hunter or The Hunted PROLOGUE

**Episode 8: The Hunter or The Hunted PROLOGUE**

 **Synopsis: When a mysterious group of assassins puts Star on their hit-list, Star enlists the help of Marco and a few people from Echo Creek Academy to hunt them down first. But lurking in the back, someone more dangerous than a group of hitmen is waiting.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Percy wiped his fingers on the hardwood table top, reveling in the smoothness of the nicely-cut timber. He wrapped his hand into a fist and knocked on the table a few times.

 _This is pretty sturdy,_ Percy thought. _This is what they call, wood, right?_

Percy leaned back on his chair, closing his eyes and resting his feet on the table. The smell of roasted coffee and baked goods permeated in the air, as the scent rested underneath Percy's nose. Percy breathed in, inhaling the bitter, yet pleasant aromas before letting it out in one huff of air. He paid no mind to the chatter from the teenagers that loitered around the room; he was content to just sit back, relax and set aside his worries and commitments for just another few minutes.

"Your coffee, sir."

Percy opened his eyes to see a pudgy, middle-aged woman with brown wavy hair set a cup filled to the brim with black, steaming liquid on the table. He inspected it, peering his eye closer towards the cup.

"If you're looking for some 'impurity' in this cup of coffee, you're not gonna find one," the barista claimed. "I can assure you, this is Echo Creek's finest artisan coffee, best in the city; no matter what some stupid critic keeps spouting out."

"Oh I'm not doubting the quality," Percy said. "I've just never had 'coffee' before."

The woman raised her eyebrows and said, "Really?"

"Mhm." Percy lifted the cup and poured the boiling coffee down his throat.

"Careful, it's—"

Percy spat the coffee back into the cup, hacking out any remaining fluids as he sensed a burning sensation on his reddened tongue.

"—hot."

"I'm sow-ee," Percy said, tongue sticking out. "I didn't expect it to be that hot. I don't know what I expected, honestly."

"I guess you weren't lying when you said you never had a cup of coffee before." The woman grabbed the cup of regurgitated coffee. "I know a better way to introduce you to the wonders of coffee." She walked away from the table. "I'll be back with a surprise, stay put."

"Alrighty then. Thanks, ma'am."

"Not a problem. And please, call me Sylvia."

 _Sylvia._ Percy chuckled quietly, as he muttered 'Sylvia' under his breath, letting each syllable roll off his tongue. Unconsciously, he let his breathing slow down, closing his eyes while maintaining a slack, relaxed posture. Tender memories of a red-haired girl entered his mind. _How's she doing? I wonder if she ever got my apology,_ he reflected.

Sylvia, the barista, placed a cup filled with whipped cream and a brownish powder on the table. "Have a sip of my famous Pumpkin Spice Lattes." She pushed the cup closer to Percy. "This was my original recipe. Some 'bigwig market researcher' from one of those big coffee chains stole it, and made his own knock-off. Now, today's kids can't tell the difference between the good thing, and some committee-designed, corporate crap."

"Well, that's awful to hear," Percy lamented, holding the cup underneath his lip. "It's always a downer to see the big step on the little."

"That's one way to put it." She faced Percy, as he was about to swallow the entire contents of the cup. "Take it sip-by-sip, don't swallow the whole thing."

Percy lowered the cup and savored the coffee by drinking it slowly. A tang of sweetness and bitterness reached his tongue as he swallowed a bit of whipped cream and coffee. As the coffee flowed down his throat, a soothing aura eased the tension in his body. His eyes opened wide as he tilted the cup a bit more, letting more coffee and cream flow in. He placed the cup back on the table, letting out a deep, gratifying sigh. Percy wiped the bits of whipped cream and cinnamon from under his nose.

"Well? How was it?"

Percy adjusted the headband above his two eyes and said, "Well Sylvia, I think you just earned yourself a repeat customer."

Sylvia smiled wryly. "Glad you liked it."

Percy shoved his hand in his pocket, scrounging for bits of change. "Pardon me, but how much does this usually cost?"

"It's on the house this time. It's my treat."

"That is so generous of you," Percy said, "you really shouldn't."

"Everybody's gotta have a great first coffee experience. It's my duty to provide that." Sylvia grabbed a shaker filled with brown powder labeled 'nutmeg' from her apron pocket. She sprinkled some on top of the cup. "Enjoy."

"I certainly will."

Smoke billowed out from the kitchen. A girl in a green beanie popped out behind the counter.

"Mom, the oven is doing that thing again!"

Sylvia gritted her teeth. "Ugh, Janna, did you—"

"No mom, I didn't do it on purpose. At first."

Sylvia groaned.

"Should I open a window?" Percy asked.

"Yes, please, thank you." Sylvia rushed towards the kitchen, while Percy opened the window up. "Call me if you need something, mister…"

"It's Percival Leopold Middleton the Third. Or just Percy, I reckon."

"Right, Percy. I'll be back."

"Alrighty, then." Percy looked out the window, feeling a gentle breeze on his face.

Farther down the road, he saw a reddish figure get shot with a pink blast of light. Percy rolled his eyes and took another sip of latte. _Looks like I won't be gettin' it today,_ Percy contemplated.

Underneath the table, he opened up his bag and pulled out a Munchkin. It waved it's stubby, teddy-bear arms around as it whimpered with its robotic inflections.

Percy covered its mouth. "It's okay, it's okay, quit screamin'. I got a job for you." Percy laid the robot on its abdomen, opening up a hatch behind its head and tinkering with the wiring. "I need you to get to that intersection down the road," Percy said, pointing out the window. He embedded a beige tack with a red, beeping light on the munchkin's head. "If you manage to get there and survive, I might test the Munchkinator's reverse function on you first. I wanna see if the robot-to-organic conversion works properly." Percy dropped the munchkin out the window.

The munchkin staggered out onto the road with its stubby legs, struggling to maintain balance as it shuffled awkwardly.

Percy made his way to the counter with the cup of pumpkin spice latte in hand. He set it on the counter.

Sylvia popped out the kitchen, coughing out smoke.

"Hey Syl, do you mind if I take this on the road?"

"Sure, buddy, not a problem," Sylvia said as she left the kitchen. "Janna, throw whatever that was in the dumpster before it grows legs or something." Sylvia sighed, blowing out a stream of exasperated air. "Kids these days, am I right?"

"Sounds like she's a handful."

"Tell me about it." Sylvia inspected the contents of the cup, finding the whipped cream had melted into the coffee. "How 'bout I make you a fresh cup, or are you in a rush?"

Percy turned around, staring out the window.

The munchkin approached the intersection, as a scuffle raged on in front of him

"Nah, I got time, go ahead." Percy stared downwards and twisted his foot. "But I feel like I owe you for your generosity…"

"Hey, the only payment I need is your satisfaction," Sylvia said, pressing a metal pitcher under the nozzle of the latte machine. "Curious though, where you from? It's kinda weird for any city to have no coffee whatsoever."

"Oh, um, just from some hick-town in the middle of nowhere. I guess they didn't make coffee where I'm from."

"I see."

Percy watched as Sylvia poured the liquid contents from the pitcher into a styrofoam cup.

"A life without coffee is a life not worth living, in my opinion," Sylvia said. "So anyways, whatcha doin' in Echo Creek, Percy?"

"There were… a few violent disagreements back home," Percy said, mulling over his thoughts. "It was over some stupid accident that wasn't even my fault. But I ended up gettin' chased off by the law. Kept runnin' and runnin' and runnin'; now here I am, safe from the feds, gettin' the best coffee this side of Echo Creek."

Sylvia snickered as she topped the latte off with whipped cream and a variety of brown powders before handing it off to Percy. "Consider this my welcome present to you."

"Thank you, Syl. You've made my day today."

"It's my pleasure," Sylvia said, wiping the metal pitcher. "Have a nice day, Percy."

"I'll try." Percy grabbed the styrofoam cup from the counter before heading off. "Also, try to avoid the intersection between Peace St. and Quiet Rd. Bye now." Percy walked out the door.

"Huh." Sylvia stood still behind the counter. _What's going on at the inter—_

The shop windows burst into shards as something off in the distance exploded.

The customers staggered back from the windows and stared at the growing fire down the road.

Sylvia turned to the door. Her mouth slacked open as Percy materialized into electricity and vanished from sight.

* * *

 **Ten Minutes Earlier**

Star trudged forwards while keeping her back straight. "My back's still killing me from yesterday."

"What did Brittney make you do?" Marco asked.

"I had to pick up a bunch of stuff from the mall." She pushed her back, cracking it back into place. "The note said 'no magic', which would've made things a lot easier."

"I guess that was the point." Marco faced Star with narrowed eyes. "Wait, it was a note that told you to do it?"

"Yeah," Star replied. "I didn't see Brittney at all yesterday. It was her dad that gave Janna and me the list."

"That's weird. I thought she would've wanted to see you suffer."

"You know, I thought so too," Star said, flipping her wand in the air.

They stopped at a red hand signal at the intersection. A red dot appeared on Star's forehead.

"Star, I think there's a ladybug on your forehead."

Star looked up to her forehead and felt around. "That's weird, I don't feel anything squishing between my fingers."

Marco clenched his teeth before checking all directions and said, "Wait, that's not a ladybug that's—"

More dots appeared on Star's body.

Marco shoved Star out of the way, straight down onto the concrete.

Lasers fired from all directions, hitting the sides of buildings and chipping the road apart.

Marco and Star took cover behind an empty newsstand. "What was that?!" Star stood up and powered her wand, letting the magic flow through it.

A person in a red jumpsuit and red face mask vaulted over the car. He kept his rifle aimed towards Star and Marco.

More people in jumpsuits popped out from cover. Each of them aimed their sights down towards Star and Marco. They surrounded them.

Marco and Star stood behind each other's backs as the red men tiptoed closer to the duo.

"Looks like Ludo finally upgraded his army," Star said.

"I don't think so. Those weapons look way too advanced." Marco looked at his surroundings, eyeing three men in jumpsuits, all spaced apart evenly. "I'll take the three in front, keep the others off my back."

"Gotcha." Star raised her glowing wand.

Star and Marco split off as a barrage of lasers fired in their direction

"Cotton Candy Cataclysm!" Star stroked her wand sideways. A pink tidal wave of candy smothered the assailants, knocking them to the ground.

Marco took cover behind one of the parked cars. The laser blasts punctured the other side of the car. Marco picked up a rock and chucked it to the right. He moved closer to one of assailants as they focused their fire towards the rock.

Marco crept behind one of the attackers. With a single sweep, he dropped the assailant to his knees, wrestling the rifle from his hands. As Marco and the assailant struggled for the laser rifle, stray shots fired out the rifle. A few struck one of the other attackers in the abdomen, who flopped to his back. The assailant dragged the rifle closer to himself, pulling Marco closer. The rifle discharged a few more stray shots.

Star ducked as the stray beams barely missed her. Taking cover behind a car, she popped out to fire her own magical rays. One struck an assailant to the ground. As Star popped out from behind the car to take more pot shots, something nestled on the side of her leg. She bent down and found a miniature teddy-bear/robot hybrid, complete with stubby teddy bear arms and legs. Star picked up the wailing robot.

The Munchkin squirmed in Star's hands. Star cringed as it frantically waved its arms while wailing in a high pitched, robotic tone.

"What is this?"

Marco shoved the butt of the rifle straight into the assailant's face. The person in the red jumpsuit released his grasp from the rifle as he tumbled on his back. He noticed a red light flashing Star's silhouette. He threw the laser rifle off to the side and dashed towards Star.

Star held the Munchkin farther away from her face. She held her free hand in front of her eyes, blocking the flashing light.

The Munchkin stiffened straight, bellowing out a single, elongated tone as Star dropped it to the ground.

"Star, get away from it!" Marco screamed. "I think it's about to—"

The Munchkin detonated, shattering into multiple pieces. A shockwave expanded out from the ball of fire, driving away everything in its blast radius.

Star and Marco struck a concrete wall. They sat still, Star massaging her ruined back.

An electrical current danced in the smoke. When the smoke cleared up, Marco and Star found the red jumpsuit assailants missing.

Star and Marco faced each other.

"What was that?" Marco asked.

"I have no idea."

* * *

Marco's staggered back and fell on his rear when he saw the front of the house. His eyes widened, almost bulging out their sockets.

Star grabbed onto the side of Marco's arm and pulled him up, while she looked on, jaws widening steadily.

"Oh, dear Mewni."

Red spray paint covered the white bricks in front of the house. The cacti that used to stand tall in the lawn were now lying on the grass, battered and broken. Star's castle loft attached to the house was cracked and ruined, with bits of stone and dust breaking off from the loft.

Marco and Star stepped closer to the house, inspecting the damage in greater detail. The phrase 'WE'RE COMING PRINCESS' was plastered underneath the roof of the house, next to a crude image of Star with crosses in place of eyes. Marco and Star walked up to the house to inspect the graffiti in detail, carefully stepping over the broken cacti pots that were knocked over from the ledge.

"Mom, Dad, what happened?" Marco shouted.

Mrs. Diaz faced towards Marco and said, "I don't know, when we got here, someone had already vandalized the house." Mrs. Diaz rubbed her sponge on the red paint sprayed on the door. "Rafael's making a witness statement with Dale." She pressed on the door even harder. "Whatever this stuff is, it's impossible to scrub out."

Marco and Star made their way to Mr. Diaz and Dale, listening in on their conversation.

"…mhm, I see." Dale scribbled on his notebook before placing it and the pen back in his pocket. "We'll keep a lookout for any vandals if they pop up. Until then, call us if this happens again." Dale opened the cruiser door, taking a seat before turning the ignition back on.

The three turned back to the ravaged household as the police car drove off. They focused their attention to the threatening note painted beside the picture of a dead Star.

"Marco, do you think those guys from earlier did this?"

"I don't know, it's hard to say. I guess who ever graffitied the house, they really want your head, Star."

Mr. Diaz snuggled Marco and Star against his body, suffocating the two. "Who would want to hurt my two precious cinnamon rolls?"

Marco's attempts at speech morphed into sounds of pained coughing and choking, as he liberated himself from his father's grasp. He cleared his throat and said, "I mean, Star's royalty and the wielder of a wand with unlimited power. She'd be the perfect target."

"Awh, that's the first time someone's called me perfect in a while." Star grinned, mistaking Marco's statement as a compliment.

"That's a bad thing, Star." Marco walked up to the house as a recurring symbol caught his eye. Marco traced across the circular emblem with his index finger, before stepping back and finding more similar-looking insignias painted on the wall.

"So what should we do?" Mr. Diaz asked.

"I don't know." Marco kept staring at the insignias. "It's not safe here, though. Whoever's hunting down Star knows where we live. The longer we stay here, there's a higher chance we'll all get killed."

"Or," Star said, tinkering with her wand. "How about we just not worry about it?"

"What?!" The Diazes exclaimed in unison.

"Yeah, let's just forget about it until they pop up again." Star fired a blast of pink light towards her room, covering the cracks and rubble. "Marco and I have dealt with monsters scarier than a squad of guys in red jumpsuits with lasers. We can handle them."

Marco pulled Star closer to him. "This is different Star," Marco said as he placed his hand on his forehead. "This isn't another Ludo attack; this is an organized hit squad that's probably well-trained and will go through any lengths to take you down. And the longer we wait to do something, chances are, it'd probably be too late by then."

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna lose sleep over ten guys in spandex." Star powered the wand once more, letting the magic flow through it. "I'll clean up the paint, you guys get dinner ready."

The Diazes looked back at Star with disgruntled expressions.

"We'll be fine."

Star fired another blast of light on the house, clearing the message away. She stopped when the wand began to approach her crudely-drawn face. Aside from a few rough details, the resemblance between the picture and the real her was uncanny, she thought to herself. Her hair, the hearts on her cheeks, the horns from her hairband; all of it was painted on the house.

Star noticed a curved line starting from her neck, extending upwards.

Star blasted the picture straight away, feeling a slight shiver down her spine.

* * *

 **Yeah, this is gonna be a long episode. I've noticed in my most recent episodes, I've been neglecting Star, so she's gonna be one of the main focal points of this episode. This was an episode I couldn't wait to do when the fic was first conceptualized.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	19. The Hunter or The Hunted Part 1

**Episode 8: The Hunter or The Hunted Part 1**

 **Synopsis: When a mysterious group of assassins puts Star on their hit-list, Star enlists the help of Marco and a few people from Echo Creek Academy to hunt them down first. But lurking in the back, someone more dangerous than a group of hitmen is waiting.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

As the bell rang, students of Echo Creek Academy shuffled out of their classrooms in droves. Star and Marco exited Ms. Skullnick's class. The princess handed Marco a piece of paper.

"Like, I don't know what Skullnick's asking. If I don't know what the question is even asking, how am I supposed to answer it?" Star asked.

"First off," Marco said, examining Star's test, filled with colourful doodles instead of answers. "The horizontal asymptote is _not_ a rainbow unicorn."

"No, that's a rainbow unicorn _pegasus_."

Marco drew a blank, straight-faced expression. "The answer was 'y equals 3.'"

Star raised an eyebrow. "How does that make any sense?"

Marco rested his hand on his chin as he stared at the picture of cat Star drew instead of a graph. "I think everything will make a lot more sense if we spend some time on this stuff."

"I mean, it could…" Star pulled out the dimensional scissors from her bag. "Or, we could go somewhere beyond this dimension. A dimension where the abnormal is normal, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but the mind. A journey into a wondrous land where nothing has to make sense, where the boundaries between science and superstition are non-existent."

Star popped up in front of Marco and whispered, "Let's go, _to the twilight zone…_ "

Marco maintained a straight expression, keeping himself composed when Star wiggled her fingers over his head while making a long, drawn-out ghostly wail.

"Star, I'm not letting you fail math."

"Awh," Star moaned, pouting her lips.

Star and Marco approached a couple of girls congregated next to one of the lockers. They waved when one of the girls turned around, revealing herself to be Jackie. Janna turned her attention to Marco and Star.

"Hey guys," Jackie said, waving back. She set her hand down as soon as they stopped in front of her. "How did you two fair with Skullnick's stupid test?"

"It was soooo hard," Star cried.

"Easiest test of my life," Marco said, tilting back his head.

"Seriously?" Jackie pulled out the sheet of paper from her knapsack. "None of this makes any sense."

"I know right," Janna said, analyzing her own test. "My mom says this is the kind of math they make you do in college."

"It really wasn't difficult, honestly." Marco motioned Jackie and the others to pass their tests to him. "I'll show you guys."

With a shrug, Jackie and Janna handed their tests over to Marco.

Marco reeled back in horror, as every page was drenched in red ink, with a massive 'F' scrawled on the top-right corners of Jackie and Janna's tests.

"Like, did she ever tell us what a second derivative was?" Janna asked.

"Don't ask me," Jackie said. "Her class is the only time I can ever go to sleep nowadays."

Marco took a look at Jackie's test first. Skimming through the pages, every answer box was filled in with a forty-two. Even in the graphing section, Jackie managed to cover the entire section with a delicately-drawn and well-crafted forty-two. Marco showed the graphing section to Jackie, pointing at the number with a pinched scowl.

"What?" Jackie shrugged. "Forty-two is my default answer to everything."

Marco rolled his eyes. "Come over this weekend, I can help you out."

"Doubt it."

Marco handed Jackie's test back, taking a look at Janna's next. He body stiffened as he skimmed through the scrawls of ancient, demonic symbols covered the page. Flipping through the pages, all Janna wrote were cryptographs of varying complexity.

"Janna…" Marco turned the page towards Janna's direction.

She stared at it, giving a half-hearted shrug. Janna's lips formed a lopsided smile as she pulled her test out of Marco's hands. "Oh, that's just an ancient hex that was supposed to give the reader either a life of eternal misery or horrific bowel problems. Or was it both, I don't remember."

"Right…" Marco slowly turned away from Janna. "Nice to know you're still into 'the dark arts.' "

Star's ears perked up with the mention of 'dark arts.'

"Always will, Diaz."

Jackie cleared her throat. "So, what did you guys do last weekend?"

"I almost burnt down my mom's coffee shop," Janna said with a beaming smile.

Jackie shifted her eyes to Janna and asked, "Again?"

"It was the oven's fault, not mine."

"Right… so what about you guys? What crazy, interdimensional hijinks did you get into?"

"Well," Star said, "on Saturday, I had to be Brittney's slave for the day—"

"Oh crap, I forgot," Janna said, letting out a muffled snicker. "Sorry for leaving you at the mercy of Echo Creek's most spoiled brat."

"Eh, it wasn't so bad." Star punched her spine back in place, straightening her posture. "What else?" The princess pointed her eyes straight to the ceiling and gnawed on the top of her wand. "Oh yeah, Marco and I are getting hunted by assassins now," Star said, closing her eyes and leaning next to the lockers.

Jackie nodded and smiled. "Oh cool, cool." She froze in place and redirected her attention to Star. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, yeah," Star said as she pulled Marco next her. "We were walking home after getting Chinese, when all of a sudden, a bunch of guys in red suits popped out of nowhere and started firing at us with lasers."

Janna spun the side of her hand in a circle. "Go on…"

"And then Marco and I fought them off before this teddy bear thing came out of nowhere and exploded. Then one thing led to another, and then by the time we got home, someone had graffitied Marco's house and trampled all over the yard."

"Wow," Jackie and Janna responded in unison.

"Yeah…" Marco clamped his hands by his waist and stared down to the floor. "My parents were freaking out over it. I guess I sorta am too…"

"Come on, Marco," Star pleaded, tilting his head up. "We've dealt with things more dangerous than a group of assassins. Quit worrying about it so much."

"I know…" Marco scratched the back of his head. "But these guys seem like they're the real deal. And it's obvious they want you dead." Marco looked into Star's eyes with a slight scowl on his face. "Honestly, you should stop being so—"

 _"—_ _callous about your own safety."_

Star's ears perked up to something familiar. Something about what Marco said made her chest tight as she stared at him with cold eyes. She blinked rapidly in front of Marco, as she still saw him standing there with his scowl easing into a look of concern.

"Star?"

Star calmed down, taking a deep breath. "I'm not being 'callous'—"

"I didn't say you were callous, I just said—"

"I'm just not going to lose my sanity over getting blasted in the head with a laser. I mean, it's not like they're just gonna assassinate me in broad daylight."

A red dot appeared on Star's back. Marco, noticing it, pulled Star off to the side.

"Get down!"

A laser beam hurdled through the air. Jackie and Janna flopped to the ground. The edge of the ray singed Star's dress as it continued towards a neglectful Hope, standing a few feet further down the hallway.

The laser struck Hope in the middle of the back. She seized in place as the beam dug into her body before she tumbled on the ground, face-first.

"Hope!" Jackie, Janna and Marco rushed to the injured girl.

Star aimed her wand down the hallway, powering up as she kept tabs on everyone in the vicinity. The princess caught up to Hope, watching the girl spit out cough after cough

"I'm… o-kay…" Hope sputtered out with a faint smile.

Janna and Jackie picked Hope up on each side, dragging her to help.

Star peeked out a nearby window and saw something scurrying away from the school.

* * *

Back at his apartment, Percy set a can of red spray paint down on the wooden table.

"That should keep them spooked for a bit."

A munchkin stared at Percy.

"No Cordry, I'm not being overly cruel," Percy replied, taking a seat. "It was just a prank. Back when I was kid, everybody used to take turns doing it to my house. It's supposed to be _fun_."

Percy readjusted his chair to ensure the back of the seat leaned back enough for him to lay on it, without any sunlight hitting his eyes. As he shifted the chair back, the bits of blue gunk still adhered on the floor scraped against his chair.

Satisfied, Percy commanded his mechanical arm to project a holographic display in front of his eyes. The interface displayed a variety of files, most of which were text, eager to be opened. Percy held a finger on one of the files labelled 'The Secrets of The Royal Mewnian Wand.'

 _I have to remember to thank that Toffee fellow for scanning this into an E-Book,"_ Percy thought, making a mental note.

When the file loaded up, Percy swiped the screen from the right, flipping through pages of text and diagrams. He watched as the hologram spun through the pages until he prodded the screen, stopping the page in place.

 _Chapter 14: The True Origins of the Wand,_ Percy read in his head. Percy skimmed through the text, his eyes glazing over bits-and-pieces of information. One tidbit of information caught his attention.

 _In a moment of desperation, the first Mewnian Wand had to be destroyed through the whisper—_

A notification popped in front of the text. Percy slammed his hand on his forehead and sighed, taking a look at the notice.

 _Unit-004 opened fire at Echo Creek Academy._

"Oh, perfect! The Exovel suits are picking up info on the corthite weapons." Percy patted his own back with his mechanical arm. He took a look at the clutter of CPU chips and wires strewn on his table "Boy, Encorian technology sure is a lot more impressive than the junk on earth," Percy muttered, almost snickering under his breath while clearing his desk. Percy swiped the message closed and opened up another application.

A video loaded up. Percy watched as his soldier, clad in red, set up her rifle on the knoll. Percy scowled as he watched her turn on the laser sight and point it to Star.

"No! Don't do that! Marco's going to see, he's going to—"

Marco pulled Star off to the side as the beam grazed Star's dress.

Percy slammed his forehead, with his mechanical arm slamming on top of it. He slid his hand down to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it while sighing. "Why does she keep using the laser pointer? Marco's just gonna notice it." Percy put his hand down and looked up to the holographic screen. "Why did I even put a laser pointer on it in the first place?"

A high-pitched wail broke Percy's stupor, and he turned his attention to the munchkin sitting on the table.

"Oh sorry, forgot you were there Cordry," Percy said, bringing the tiny robot close to him. When he didn't hear any robotic-inflected screaming, he stared at his creation, bemused. "Glad you're not screaming like the other munchkins. I swear, something goes off every time I try to pick one up." He scrubbed on the munchkin's head, not noticing munchkin's retinal scanners dilating. "Cordry, do you see this right now? I'll tell you what, this girl is not cut out to be an assassin whatsoever."

Percy flipped through earlier footage caught from the Exovel suits. He let out a deep groan as he watched the squad haphazardly handle the crates of explosives. One of them dropped a crate. The video feed cut off, but not before the sound of an explosion was caught on the feed.

"I swear I could do a better job than them… come to think of it," Percy said, closing the camera feeds. He set the munchkin on the table. "Bessie, open up Exovel control."

"Acknowledged." A new screen displayed information on the Exovel suits. Percy swiped upwards, shifting through the column of information.

"Bessie, initiate Exovel Override."

"Please enter tactile passcode, first."

Percy sighed, drawing an N-shape in the air. The screen cleared, on displaying a cyan-coloured circle.

"Ready to engage."

Percy pointed his index finger towards the circle.

"Override initiated." A red progress bar followed along the edge of the circle. Percy tilted his head to the side as the red bar slowly formed another circle along the cyan-coloured one. He squinted his eyes at the screen, reconsidering his actions in a brief moment before the progress bar completed its circle. Percy pulled his finger away from the screen, clearing the bar and closing the hologram entirely.

"You know what, this ain't my fight," Percy said. "This is hers. She personally volunteered to do it." Percy reopened the files on the wand. "Once she takes Star down, the wand is free for the takin'." Percy stared at his grimy, unkempt hands. "No need for me to dirty my hands, right Cordry?"

Cordry made a tiny whimper in response.

"That's right." Percy went back to skimming through pages of text. "How badly can Brittney and her friends mess up?"

* * *

"Any word on Hope's condition?" Marco asked.

"Jackie's at the hospital with her, said she's stable." Star received a text and opened it up. "Hey, Marco, look," Star said, pulling him closer to her phone. "Look what Janna just sent me."

Marco leaned down to get a better view of the phone. He watched as Brittney Wong staggered out of the alley and dropped on to her knees. The sounds of wretched gagging blared through the speakers while Brittney heaved out the contents of her stomach.

Marco chuckled and smiled, darting his eyes back towards the side walk. "That's gross."

"I know, right?" Star tapped on her phone, noticing a large portion of video length still remaining. "Ooh, it's still going." A few of Brittney's cheerleader friends joined with her as they crawled out the alley, whimpering and groaning. The cheerleaders vomited in a harmonized fashion.

Marco pushed Star's hand away from him. "Okay, turn it off now," Marco said.

"Alright, alright…" Star turned off the video and shoved her phone back into her dress pocket. She wiped away the soot on the burnt bit of dress. "It's weird, I haven't seen Brittney all day. I wonder where she's—"

Star stopped on the spot. A dark, cold feeling struck deep to her core. Star extended her arm across, stopping Marco on his tracks. She tiled Marco's head up.

Marco mouth gaped open. He covered it with both hands.

Marco and Star arrived home, only to find the entire outside of the Diaz residence ravaged by red spray paint and the entire lawn razed in flames. Star pulled her wand up and extinguished the fire covering the lawn, leaving singed, blackened patches of grass and the burnt entrails of cacti across Marco's yard. The vandal had forged a crude depiction of Star's wand in the centre of the house frame.

"Not again."

Marco rushed into the house. "I'll check if they wrecked the inside of the house, clean up the graffiti on the wall," Marco ordered.

"Sure thing, Marco." Star pointed her wand near the roof of the house. The vandal had painted another message for her.

'YOU HAVE SOMETHING WE WANT.'

Star cleansed the painted message off the wall. She kept staring at her wand as a bluish beam cleaned the spray paint off. Recollecting herself, she kept her wand pointed to the front of the house, until Marco ran out of the door with cameras in hand.

Marco dropped the pile of cameras on the ground. "Star, I need you to take a couple of these and place them by the doorsteps."

Star picked one of the cameras and asked, "Marco, what are these—"

"Find a good hiding spot in the lawn for this camera in particular"—Marco tossed a camera the size of a thumbtack towards Star, who cupped it into her hands—"I'd say you should put it in one of the bushes, but—"

"Marco!" Star yelled. "What's with all these 'camera-thingies'? Where did you even get these?"

"When I was eight, someone broke into my house." Marco planted one of the cameras on the windowsill. "It took about a couple months, but my mom gave in and ordered a set of these tiny surveillance cameras in case the house gets robbed again."

Star stared at the cam resting on her palm.

"I almost forgot I had these. Once these cameras are up and running, we can figure out who keeps spray painting the house."

"Umm, I don't know, Marco…" Star wrapped the hand holding the camera into a fist. "It seems a little _excessive_ , don't you think?"

"What? No it's not." Marco faced towards Star and stepped closer to her. "Everyone living in this house is in danger. _Grave_ danger. Whoever keeps spray painting the house and setting our lawn on fire is after us." Marco paced back and forth in front of Star. "They know where we live and where we are any time. Heck, they tried to axe us earlier today."

Star looked over her shoulder, surveying the area for anyone suspicious or shadows shuffling behind cover. "Let's not get carried—"

"We should get some extra security to beef this place up," Marco considered aloud. "We need a German Sheppard, or two… actually three. Star, is it possible to turn the manticore into our personal guard dog?"

"Manny?" Star asked with a strained voice. "Marco, don't be ridiculous, you're not turning Manny into a guard dog."

"Why not? When there's no one to guard the house, those guys will just come back and set the lawn on fire again." Marco preoccupied his hands by setting other cameras around the outside of the house.

"Because Marco, first, it starts with one manticore," Star said, "and pretty soon, we'll have the entire wild game dimension roaming the house because you're getting overly paranoid about a couple of guys in red jumpsuits."

Marco groaned. "Star, I'm not getting overly paranoid—"

 _"—_ _I'm just doing everything in my power to keep you and the family safe!"_

Star flinched, as something clicked in her head. She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but Marco's tone and the self-righteous nature of his words made Star heat up as a mounting frustration covered her mind. Star felt a streak of sweat rushing down her neck as she opened her mouth.

"Marco, we've know each other for a while now, can't you trust me to take on some guys with laser rifles?" Star asked.

"Star, these aren't your typical monsters," Marco said, twiddling with her fingers. "These guys are trained killers whose sole purpose is to hunt you down. And I don't know how good these guys are at their jobs, but I don't want to find out!"

"Yeah," Star said, lingering, "but we can't spend every waking minute stressing over them. Just… don't get paranoid over nothing, please."

"Paranoid over NOTHING?!" Marco bared his teeth and yanked on his hair. "I'm trying to be realistic here, Star." He pointed to the burnt section of Star's dress. "Look how close they got today. Another inch to the right, then I would probably be setting up your funeral right now!"

Marco kept pacing in front of Star. "I have to do everything in my power to keep you safe because—"

 _"—_ _you're next in line for the throne, you're the future of the people of Mewni!"_ Her mother, Queen Butterfly declared, pacing back and forth, similar to Marco.

Star stared on; one moment, she looked at Marco in front of his ravaged house. The next, she watched her own mother sauntering back and forth, in front of her throne.

Star wrapped her hands into fists and covered her reddening face and gritted teeth. "Marco, I don't need you to keep me safe." She powered her wand and fired a blast of light towards the house, cleaning the paint off. "I wield the most powerful wand in the universe, I can take care of myself."

"Are you sure? I think you're being—"

 _"—_ _reckless, irresponsible and a danger to everyone, including yourself—"_

"Shut it, Marco!" Star stomped her way to the front door. "You're starting to sound like my mom."

Marco gasped; his hand pressed against his throat as he swiveled his head towards Star. His face formed a scowl.

"Well, maybe your mom had some valid points. If you're not going to bother to protect yourself, then I will _._ "

Star stopped in her tracks, tunneling her vision towards Marco with watery eyes.

"I never asked for your protection."

With the flick of her wand, Star teleported herself back into her room. She jumped onto the bed, stomach-first, shoving her head into a pillow. The pillow muffled her scream as she bellowed out her frustrations into the cushion. Afterwards, Star flipped over to her back as her bangs flopped over her forehead, covering her eyes. She blew the bangs upwards, only for them to fall back over her eyes.

Star rolled her eyes and trudged towards the mirror. With her wand, she levitated a brush and swept her mangled, disheveled hair into something more presentable. She took a moment to stare at her messy appearance, letting out a deep groan. Star curved her eyes upwards, noticing the tiara design on top of the mirror floating above her head. It looked as if she wore the tiara.

Star frowned, tilting her eyes downwards while forcing herself to take a deep breath.

* * *

"Star, what a pleasant surprise," Queen Butterfly greeted Star. "It's been a while since we've last had a chat." The queen's eyebrows drew together. "What's the matter this time?"

"Nothing's wrong, mom," Star said with a vacant smile, staring at her mother through the mirror. "What? Can't your own daughter call you just to check up?"

"Well, you never usually do, so this is a surprise, really." One of the queen's servants placed a chair behind her. She gently lowered herself, taking a seat while keeping her hands pressed together. "Any who, how is everything, Star? The Earth dimension causing you any problems?"

Star looked down to the floor and said, "No, uh… everything's been really great on Earth, mom." Star pilfered through her bag, grabbing her cellphone. "The Diazes gave me this tele-communicator device thingy recently."

"I see," the queen said. "Interesting, seems telephones have gotten more advanced since the last time I visited Earth."

"Yeah, it has." Star tossed the cellphone in the air. "So, how's everything back home?"

"It's been relatively the same since you've left." The queen mulled over her thoughts. "There's been less bush fires across Mewni since you've left, so that's great. Other than that, nothing else interesting has hap—"

"What do you mean lower Mewni has been taken over by a squid cult?" King Butterfly yelled off in the distance.

Star and the queen stopped talking, letting the silence take over.

"How does something like that just—"

"River, keep it down!" Queen Butterfly commanded. She sighed. "Ignore that, Star."

"Gotcha," Star said, nodding. She looked to her right, out the window, and saw Marco planting the security cameras outside the house. Star watched him mutter to himself, grimacing while her chest tightened as she recalled the argument from earlier today. "Hey, mom?"

"Yes, dear."

"When you were a kid, did you ever get targeted by other Mewmans or… just anyone other than the monsters?"

Queen Butterfly looked at Star with unblinking eyes, frowning while her naturally smooth brow wrinkled. She stared at Star with increasing concern, as the princess faintly called out her name for an answer. The Queen drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she exhaled. She opened her eyes.

"Of course, dear," Queen Butterfly answered. "In fact, your father and I are still prime targets for assassins. There are plenty of people that would certainly like it better if we were dead."

Star had a difficult time figuring out what to ask next. "Why? That doesn't make sense, I thought everyone loved the royal family. Why would somebody want us dead?"

"Star," Queen Butterfly whispered, "you have to understand. That's simply just a part of the job of being royalty. We control a kingdom of millions and hold unforetold power with the Royal Mewnian Scepter."

Star stared at her wand, inspecting the star insignia in the middle of the wand, along with the small hearts surrounding it.

"Those are things that are highly sought after in the universe. Others have even started wars over more petty things. Of course people will go to any lengths to assassinate us."

Star's thoughts seized up in fear.

"There are monsters worse than the ones in Mewni, Star. It's just a fact of life"

"Huh, I see." Star stared at her wand and compared it to the crude spray painting of it. "Mom, do you remember the first spell you taught me?"

"Oh, you mean the one that makes flowers?"

"No… the other one."

"You mean the whisp…" The Queen's regal posture stooped low as she placed her hand over her mouth. "Star, what's going on? Is there someone—"

"No, no, Mom," Star said while forcing a grin. "I just forgot how it went; nobody's hunting me down or anything, honest."

Queen Butterfly stared at her daughter with moist, unblinking eyes. "If… if you want to come back to Mewni, I'll send someone to come pick you up, if you wish."

"No, it's okay, mom." Star tilted her eyes upwards, noticing a photo of her and Marco, smiling, happy. "Earth is great, I don't want to leave."

"If that's what you want." Queen Butterfly called up one of her servants and whispered in his ear. When the servant left, the Queen turned her attention back to Star. "I'll uh, write it up as soon as I can. I'll… send it when I have the chance to."

Star didn't have a hard time making a grin. "Thanks, mom."

Someone popped out of the doors behind the Queen. "Moon, dear, the meeting is starting," King Butterfly called out.

"In a minute," the Queen bellowed. "I have some important matters to attend to, so I best be going."

"Yeah, that's fine." Star's hand made its way to the end call button on the mirror.

"—Oh, Star…"

"Yeah, mom?"

"Please, if you're in danger, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll always be there to pick up."

Star chuckled and said, "I will, mom."

"Love you, dear."

"Love you too, mom." Star cut the call. She trudged over to her bed, and collapsed on the mattress.

Star pulled the wand closer to her face, glazing over it before setting it down on the night stand.

* * *

Star rushed to her parents, crawling underneath the barrage of laser fire grazing past her hair. She fired potshots over the cover, unwilling to lift her head over it. The King laid on his stomach, unmoving. She made it to her wounded mother, pulling her up off the ground slightly.

"Mom!" Star shook the Queen back and forth. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I would lead them here! Please, don't go, PLEASE!"

Queen Butterfly opened her eyes, groaning in pain.

"The inevitable happened," Queen Butterfly said with a raspy voice. The Queen forced out a laugh. "Star, please forgive me… Mewni is in your hands now. Please… take good care of it… my precious Star…" The Queen closed her eyes for good.

"No! Don't… go." Star let the tears drop onto her mother's face. "I'm not _ready_ yet. I'm not—"

A massive ray struck the cover in front of Star. Star blacked out, feeling her wand slip from her grasp.

When she opened her eyes, Star found herself on the ground; scratched, bruised and battered. With both her hands, she pushed herself up off the pavement. Her body shook as her arms gave out midway. Star tilted her head to the right, only to see Marco shot down by a laser.

Marco fell on his back, his body bouncing on the pavement a bit before it laid still.

"Marco…" Star whimpered, reaching out to him.

"Star…" Marco coughed into his sweater. "… The wand. Hurry, before _they_ get it."

In the middle of the road, the wand laid on the pavement, undisturbed.

Star crawled across the road. The gravel scraped against her skin as she forced herself to squirm for her wand. Star winced in pain as the pavement grazed her wounds. She kept going. In front of her, a line of men in red jumpsuits stood still, watching the princess struggle towards the wand.

As Star reached out close to the wand, a foot stomped on the handle and rolled it away from her.

"Sorry, Star, but I'm gonna be needin' this."

A figure concealed by his cloak and darkness grabbed the wand by its handle.

Star's eyes widened as the exterior of the wand cracked.

Star opened her eyes again. She sat up and saw her bed curtains in front her, as well as a faint reflection of herself on the mirror. The princess turned her head in both directions, finding herself back in her room. Star lifted her arms up, relieved to not find a single scratch or bruise. She turned to her night stand and watched the alarm clock strike one o'clock.

Star squished her head with her pillow; the pillow struggled to muffle her screams of bloody-murder. After straining her vocal cords, she let the pillow go with a sigh and stared at the ceiling.

Star turned over to the side, finding her phone on the night stand. She picked it up and texted Marco:

 _"Are you awake? - Star"_

She kept the phone pressed on her chest, waiting for a response. She felt something vibrating on her chest.

 _"Mhm. - Marco"_

 _"Can_ _you come to my room? I can't sleep. – Star"_

Star contemplated for a moment, tapping underneath her chin with her index finger.

 _"Also, can you make some nachos before you come up? – Star"_

* * *

 **And that's the end of the real Part 1. Sorry it wasn't very funny.**

 **If you liked this, leave a review and thanks for reading!**


	20. The Hunter or The Hunted Part 2

**Episode 8: The Hunter or The Hunted Part 2**

 **Synopsis: When a mysterious group of assassins puts Star on their hit-list, Star enlists the help of Marco and a few people from Echo Creek Academy to hunt them down first. But lurking in the back, someone more dangerous than a group of hitmen is waiting.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco turned the knob with his free hand, hurriedly opening the door as the bottom of the searing plate burnt his hand. "Hey, Star," Marco said, tiptoeing his way inside Star's room. "I made nachos, just like you asked." His eyes shifted to her bed as a massive blanket wrapped around Star's body, leaving only the back of her head and her hair exposed. "I found some leftover chicken in the fridge, so I added that in." Marco forced a slight chuckle. "…thought you would like it."

"Yeah, that's fine." Star turned over to face Marco. "Just leave it on the night stand." Star stared at the ceiling as she heard Marco's footsteps patter over. The plate made a noticeable 'clink' when Marco set it on the stand. "Thanks, Marco."

"Don't… don't mention it." Marco sat by the edge of her bed, only for Star to turn away from him. "Star, I'm sorry about this afternoon. When we got home to the mess, I freaked out and said some things I'm starting to regret. I didn't mean it, honest."

"Marco," Star said. She turned over to her friend—an overprotective boy afraid for his life and hers—one of her best friends. "I get it. You were just doing your best to keep everyone safe." Star stared at the plate of nachos on the night stand, realizing now that she didn't have much of an appetite. "You were scared. To be honest, now I kinda am too."

Marco stretched his arms up in the air and said, "That makes sense. After you teleported out, I was starting to wonder if two assassination attempts won't scare you, what does?"

Star sighed. "I don't know…" She sat up straight, leaning back against the headboard. "I never usually think about those kinds of things. Life's no fun when you're constantly thinking about death all the time."

Marco shifted closer to Star, sitting beside her.

"I mean, I've taken down monsters six times my size, I've tamed tons of wild unicorns—why am I so afraid now?"

Marco felt her anxiety exude from her words. "Take a chip." Marco brought the plate over. "Believe me, eating your feelings away is probably the best thing to do right now."

"Yeah, your nachos always make me feel better." Star grabbed a handful of chips off the plate, letting the melted cheese drench her hand. She stuffed the entire pile into her mouth. She kept her mind preoccupied with chewing on the mound of softened tortilla chips.

"Is it working?"

Star nodded before swallowing.

"Hey, Star?"

The princess turned her attention towards him, as cheese dripped down her chin.

"It's okay to be scared in times like this," Marco said, wiping her chin clean. "Your life's in danger, it's natural."

"No, it's not just that. It's just"—Star lingered on her words before letting out a deep sigh—"just frustrating."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how anytime Ludo and his goons showed up, you and I could blast or punch our way out of it? When those guys keep popping in and out, and I can't act fast enough to stop it, I just feel… powerless, I guess?" Star pouted. "I don't know, but I hate it."

Marco lowered his gaze.

"Maybe we should just try to sleep it off." Star stretched her arms out wide while yawning. "Hopefully come morning, we can figure out a way to deal with _them."_

"Yeah, I've done enough worrying for one day." Marco stared out the window. "Want me to sleep here for the night? To keep you company."

"Ehhh," Star mumbled. She turned her head to the stand, noticing the wand resting on top; within arm's reach, away from the sights of any treacherous thieves. So she hoped. Star scooted over to the far side, away from Marco. "If you can handle a little snoring, sure," Star said, making a lopsided smile.

"Have you ever _been_ in the same room as my dad when he's taking a nap?" Marco covered his section of bed, never prying his eyes away from the window. "Anyways, we need some sleep, badly."

"What about the nachos?" Star asked, pointing to the plate.

"We'll just leave it, I guess. Besides, I think Skullnick said something about a retest or whatever, tomorrow?"

Star rolled her eyes. "Really? If that's the case, I'll take a laser beam to face."

Marco eased the back of his head into the pillow and snickered. "Night, Star."

"Night." Star switched the light off.

Marco's eyes wouldn't close, despite the fact his eyelids began to weigh heavily. He kept his eyes peered towards the window; out towards the cloudy night sky, stars obscured behind a cloudy screen.

Marco imagined himself on the other side of the window, looking through it. If someone aimed down the window from the roof on the other side of the house, they would have a direct line of sight towards the both of them.

And yet, nothing popped up from the window. Nothing interesting came into sight. The only thing Marco saw was the glow from the streetlights on the sidewalk. Still…

"Hey Marco, you still awake?"

"Yeah."

Star sighed in relief. "Marco," Star cried. "I don't want to go back to sleep again."

"Well, we have to, don't we?" Marco got up from the bed, twisting his back until he heard an audible snap. "I think I know something that'll help us get some sleep. Ever had warm milk before?

"Eh, drinking milk straight from the udder of a Mewnian cow is always warm."

Marco snickered and said, "Gross."

Star shrugged with a teasing smile.

"I'll be back in a moment, stay put," Marco said.

Star relaxed and snuggled underneath her blankets. She kept staring towards the mirror, eyes drifting slightly. Star's eyes widened as a red pointer beamed across the room, aiming at the back of Marco's neck.

Star grabbed her wand.

"Rocket Arm Blast-off!" Star fired a detached arm propelled by a rocket. It hurdled towards Marco, striking him on the side.

Marco bounced off to the side as a laser grazed against his neck.

"What was that—"

Star, growling and grimacing, flew out the window, leaving a smoke trail behind her.

Someone concealed by the night sky hoped down off the roof of the house on the other side. Star chased after it. Her wand glowed as she vaulted over the fence.

The assassin hopped into the bush. Electricity crackled inside the bush.

Star discharged a pinkish ray towards the bush, transforming it into a swarm of butterflies. Nothing else was there.

Star felt a pounding in her ears, clenching her wand tight. The lights of the house behind her flickered on as Star heard the noises of people's footsteps from inside. Star fired another ray under her feet.

Marco turned his attention away from the singed mark on the wall when Star rematerialized back into the room. He noticed her gritted teeth and narrowed eyes.

Star stared at Marco. The shot had barely missed him. Star peered towards the laser mark on the wall. _If I had been a second too late…_ Star decided not to follow that train of thought.

"They've gone too far now." Star looked out the window. Her wand glowed with a red tinge. "Marco, we need to do something about those _assassins._ "

"Well, we can finish up assassin-proofing the—"

"No. I have a better idea." Star unleashed a red wave out the window, watching it fly through the night sky. "They're just gonna keep hunting us down until either of us are dead, right? I'm sick of being the hunted." Star clenched her free hand into a fist. "This time, we're going to be the hunters."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think, Marco?" Star asked impetuously. "We find them, and then we make sure they don't think twice about bothering us again. It's gonna be our turn to be the assassins."

"I don't know." Marco scratched the back of his head, looking down on the floor. "Who knows how many guys we're gonna be up against?"

"Well, it sure beats who knows how many sleepless nights we'll have in the future."

Marco considered his other options, staring back at the singed mark on the wall. "Alright, but we're gonna need as much help as we can get."

Star nodded. "You're right Marco, if we're gonna take on a group of professionally trained assassins, we're gonna need the best help we can find!"

* * *

Marco pumped his fist in the air in relief when he found the house relatively unscathed. Or at least, as unscathed as an already vandalized property can be.

A few people entered the backyard. Janna sat cross-legged on the grass, fiddling with her phone. Alfonso loitered beside her. Ferguson preoccupied himself by picking his nose.

Marco stood still, examining the hastily chosen recruits. He ignored the heavy sun beating down behind him as he began to consider his other options.

"Ehhh, this looks like a… solid line-up, right Marco?" Star asked, with a phony smile.

"I don't know, Star, you probably should have said more than just, 'We need everybody's help, there are assassins on the loose!'"

"Sorry"—Star shrugged—"you told me to improvise." Star felt her phone vibrating in her bag. She pulled it out and opened up the new text. "Oh yay, Jackie's on her way."

"Sweet!" Marco beamed in excitement. He pulled out his phone, using the screen as a mirror. Marco held it up to the side of his head, lubricating his hand with spit and running his hair off to the side. Marco kept inspecting his hair, mating down bits still sticking out until he heard something tumbling into the backyard.

"Jackie, you made it!"

Marco shoved his phone into his pocket and waved at Jackie as she entered the backyard holding her skateboard. Ferguson and Alfonso held their gaze towards Jackie, who took off her helmet and shook her hair from side-to-side, brushing the teal highlight off to her right.

"Sorry I was late," Jackie said. "It took me forever to find _this._ " Jackie pulled out a glock pistol from her holster. Everyone's gaze turned to the firearm in Jackie's hand. "What? I thought Star told us to bring our own weapons?"

Star scratched her shoulder and said, "I was thinking more like swords and maces, but I like the initiative." Star turned back to the small gathering in the yard. "Did anyone else bring their weapons?"

The group murmured in disagreement, until Janna raised her voice and asked, "Why are we here again?"

"Marco and I need your help," Star begged. She powered her wand up, generating a hologram in the center. A squad of assassins in red jumpsuits materialized into the hologram holding rifles. "See these guys" —the hologram morphed into a depiction of Marco and Star ducking under cover while lasers poured out in front of them—"they've been terrorizing us for the past…"

"—Three days," Marco interjected.

"Three days. They've also"—Star pressed on the handle of the wand, changing the hologram to show the ruined remains of Marco's yard—"burnt down Marco's lawn, spray painted Marco's house multiple times and finally"—a picture of a dejected Mr. and Mrs. Diaz materialized on top the wand—"they made Marco's parents really sad." The hologram regenerated an image of the army of red assassins.

"They must really have it out for you," Janna said, laughing under her breath. "How did you guys tic off an entire group of assassins?"

Marco and Star shrugged. "Something to do with my wand?"

"And what are they doing with those cool-looking rifles?" Jackie asked. "This looks like something out of a Galactica movie or something."

Ferguson and Alfonso edged a bit towards Jackie as their lips parted.

"Woah, you watch Galactica?" Ferguson asked, holding his hand in front of her face.

"Yeah, I watched the first two original movies… and might have dabbled with the fandom a bit." Jackie pulled out her phone and opened up a picture of her and Janna dressed in sci-fi paraphernalia. "Janna made me cosplay with her for the Galacticon last year."

Janna pulled Jackie's hand, bringing the phone closer to her, examining it. "Oh yeah, I remember that. That white princess dress Jackie's wearing was a pain to steal."

Jackie paused for a moment. "I thought you said your Mom bought it."

"Oh yeah… that's right," Janna said, lingering on her words while eyeing towards the ground.

The boys stared at the picture, enamored and unblinking.

"Right, so if Marco and I are ever gonna beat these guys, we're gonna need your help. These guys are nothing like the monsters that pop up here from time-to-time. If we keep ignoring the issue, then who knows how many other people are gonna get hurt?" With her wand, Star materialized one more hologram of the assassins firing on a rampage throughout Echo Creek. "So what do you guys say? Wanna go hunting for assassins?"

"Eh, yeah I'm down," Jackie said.

"Same, nobody's gonna hurt my B-Fly under my watch," Janna chimed in

Star's lips formed a glowing smile.

"I've always wanted to be an 'Assassin Hunter,'" Ferguson said, "I'm in."

"Well," Alfonso said, lingering on his words. "You know what, why not? I don't have anything else to do."

"Alright!" Star clasped her hands together. "So, Marco, what do we do now?"

"Well, we…" Marco hesitated for a moment, shifting his eyes up to the sky. "Uh, hmm, I don't know. We can't really do anything until they show up, so"—Marco pulled out a few bear traps from his knapsack—"who wants to booby-trap the house, in case they show up again?"

Nobody said a word.

Janna pulled out a piece of scrunched up paper from her pocket. "I found these instructions on how to make bombs. We need a bit of firepower to match them, right?"

"Yeah, yeah that sounds good," everyone aside from Marco murmured. Marco glared at the blue haired girl in front of him.

"Okay, sounds like a plan." Janna read through the page, squinting her eyes. "Marco, do you have any acetone peroxide in your shed? Or anything close?"

* * *

"Brittney, I didn't want to say anything yesterday, but I think we're going too far with this."

"Too far?" Brittney pondered. "Not far enough, you mean. We haven't tormented Star Butterfly hard enough."

"Seriously!?" Sabrina screamed. "You've been obsessing over her for what, the past two weeks now? And for what?" Her arms were raised up to the air. "Over a credit card your dad replaced already?"

"It's not just about the card, it's about the principle." Brittney strutted across the hallway with an air of superiority while her cheerleader lackeys scuttled behind her. "Butterfly needs a suitable punishment, and I'll make sure I deliver it."

"How, by burning her face off with these lasers?" Sabrina asked, pulling out a corthite rifle.

"Well, if that weirdo was generous enough to give us these, then I don't see why we can't use it. It beats ruining her life through the _traditional_ methods."

"This is getting nuts, Brittney"—Sabrina pointed to the bracelet with a blue strobe light on her wrist—"Do you even know what this thing is?" Sabrina yanked on the bracelet, struggling as it failed to budge. "Why won't it come off?"

"Yeah, it's the suit transform-thingy," Brittney said, lifting her wrist up. "You should already know what it is. Percy, or whoever, gave one to each of us."

"Did you forget what happened yesterday?" Sabrina's nostrils flared with increasing intensity. "Remember when it just turned on out of nowhere and messed with our bodies? The entire cheer squad, or, like, whoever had this on, was screwed up for the rest of the day."

Brittney stared up to the ceiling, tapping her index finger under her chin to feign deep thought. "Nah, I don't remember," she said with a shrug.

Sabrina stared at Brittney with a blank expression. "We were puking non-stop."

"Oh, good for you," Brittney said, "I forgot to tell you that you needed to lose a couple of pounds, but I'm glad you already took the initiative."

Sabrina growled. "BRITTNEY—"

"Booooring." Percy cut the camera feed with a single swipe to the left. With another flick of the wrist, he switched the hologram off, letting the image fade into the air. Percy let out a deep sigh. "I have to come in at some point, don't I? Not now, though."

Percy directed his attention to the beat-up coffee machine on his desk. The exterior displayed several cracks and fractures spread out unevenly throughout. A bit of dirt had latched underneath the handle. He picked up a piece of corthite and jammed it in the back of the machine. The indicator light kindled dimly.

"So apparently this thing is supposed to make coffee, right Cordry?" Percy asked, turning to face his tiny robot companion sitting on the table.

Cordry refused to say or do anything.

"I'm gonna need a cup, aren't I?" Percy peered his eyes to a cup on the top shelf and held his arm out towards it. The palm of his hand glowed blue, while the cup was bathed in a blue light. Percy pulled his arm back and the cup flew towards the table, setting it nicely on top.

"Alrighty, the water's already in, so now—"A rush of pressure struck Percy in the head out of nowhere. Percy dropped down to his knees, pressing his hand against the right side of his face as a sharp pain penetrated from the inside of his head. With his other hand, he clasped onto the edge of the table as the inside of his head burned for what seemed like hours.

"Syl! Where are you? It's happening again! Syl!"

When it stopped, Percy dropped his arms to the ground and gasped for air. Beads of sweat dripped down from his forehead.

"Oh, right," Percy muttered, forcing himself up. "She's not here anymore." He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. _It's already been a year, Percy, how can you keep forgetting?_

A portal materialized in front of him. A piece of paper shot out of it, drifting down before settling on top of his table.

The only words on the page read: _I'm still waiting –Ludo._

 _Have a little patience, why don't ya,_ Percy thought. Percy scrunched up the page and tossed it behind his shoulder, to the pile of other balled-up messages. Percy placed the cup underneath the nozzle. "Now, how does this thing work?"

Another munchkin snuck behind Percy, struggling to pull on a disk-like object across the floor with his teddy-bear stumps for arms. After one hard tug, the munchkin fell on his bottom, as a metallic twang emanated across the room.

"What was that?" Percy asked, turning his attention to the other munchkin on the ground beside the disk. "Hey, whatcha doin' with that emergency transponder?" He lurched up to it, picking up the disk. "These are only supposed to be used for rescues only, but we ain't in any hurry for one." Percy shoved it in his pocket. "Although, I'm impressed you're strong enough to pull somethin' out in the first place. Hey, come to think of it…"

Percy lifted the munchkin up off the ground, scrubbing on top of its head despite its wailing protests. "You were one of the first I made, am I right?" Percy recalled the first day he came to Echo Creek, and his encounter with the man wielding his sabre. And the horrific screams soon after. "I didn't recognize you at first, so my apologies for that. You were one of Ace's buddies aren't you?"

The munchkin didn't utter a single noise.

"You are. Remember, back in Epsilon-9? That whole thing?" Percy chuckled quietly. "That was pretty fun."

The munchkin turned his head down.

"Ace and I go back a long way, you know?" Percy eased up and let out a shallow sigh, a faint desire for the past seeping into his thoughts.

The munchkin stared at the Encor in front of him; in his miniature robotic body, Percy towered over him. His visual receptors receded back.

"He and I were basically the reason Encoria didn't collapse in on itself. Well, at least before the incident happened."

Percy groaned quietly. "You wanna know what's funny?" Percy asked malevolently. "Ace and some other Raven-folk are probably bustin' their britches tryin' to locate you, rescue you or whatever." Percy chuckled under his breath. "That's Ace for ya, always loyal to his comrades _'til the very end._ Heh, too bad that _traitor_ ain't gonna find this place anytime soon." Tossing the transponder to the ground, Percy stomped on it, shattering it into many pieces. A blue whisp flew up from the disk before evaporating.

The munchkin wailed in a panic tone.

"But hey, don't look so down," Percy comforted, "this place is amazin'. Why would you even want to leave?" Percy set the munchkin on the table. It immediately ambled straight to the edge, only for Percy to block his way down. "Careful, fall from that height would probably kill ya."

Percy pressed the button on the coffee machine, as the sound of mechanical parts buzzed inside the machine. "Once we get our hands on the wand, who knows what we can do with it? Maybe I won't give it to that Ludo fella right away. Ultimate power sounds kinda fun, don't ya think? Once we're done with it, we can just cash it in for all the corthite we want. Probably more than you've ever seen in your life."

The munchkin stood up, raising its stump defiantly.

Percy knocked the munchkin over. "No more runnin', no more chasin', no more stupid civil war. This is our _home_ now. Honestly, how does that not sound appealin'?" Percy grabbed the cup under the nozzle. He stared inside the cup, only to find clear, boiled water instead of the dark, rich, bitter coffee. Percy's head flinched back slightly. He opened up the tray, revealing nothing present inside.

"Maybe I was supposed to put somethin' in the receptacle?"

* * *

Marco and Star hopped out of the portal and onto the patch of grass, as a massive bear paw popped out of the portal.

"Close it, close it!" Marco shrieked, holding the burlap bags away from it.

Star cleaved the portal back together, closing it on the bear paw. The two collapsed to the ground, laying on their backs. Both of them let out staggered, shallow breaths.

"How much did you get?" Star asked.

"I don't know, I just tried to fill the entire bag," Marco replied, as he pulled out an old, beige sheet of paper from his hoodie pocket. He grabbed a pencil and added a check-mark beside 'pixie dust'. "Star, are you sure we should trust Janna's 'recipe' for bombs? I think I saw this from a crappy fantasy book."

"Hey, Janna says these are instructions for the most potent explosives in the universe. I trust her."

"Well, I trusted her once, and that turned out so well", Marco muttered under his breath. "If you say so, Star. Why do we need to make bombs again?"

"Why wouldn't we want bombs?" Star asked, holding the wand with her teeth while wiping her dress clean. "They make decent booby traps and weapons. It's the perfect combo."

"I really don't trust Janna with anything _explosive._ Or sharp. Or supernatural. Or whatever." Marco checked the time on his phone as it changed to 4:30 on the screen. "When's Janna coming here?" Marco analyzed the list again, specifically looking at the dangerous compounds underneath the pixie dust. "How's Janna gonna get half of this stuff? You can't even buy most of these over the counter—"

Janna appeared out of nowhere, dropping a crate on the ground. Marco turned his head towards her when he heard glass clanging on the ground.

"I don't know what most of these are," Janna said, "I just took whatever I found in the back of the chemistry room."

Star checked inside the crate, noticing some of the fluids had spilt over the shattered flasks.

"We can work with this," Star said.

* * *

 **I have to apoligize for not updating in a while. University and minor writer's block has been taking a lot from me. I don't know how long the next chapter will take, but I'll do my best to get it out there. Let's hope.**

 **Anyways, Thanks for Reading!**


	21. The Hunter or The Hunted Part 3

**Episode 8: The Hunter or The Hunted Part 3**

 **Synopsis: When a mysterious group of assassins puts Star on their hit-list, Star enlists the help of Marco and a few people from Echo Creek Academy to hunt them down first. But lurking in the back, someone more dangerous than a group of hitmen is waiting.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Everybody watched as Star stirred the cauldron. She stopped for a moment, letting her arms rest as the viscous greenish-yellow fluid swirled in the middle. The contents inside the cauldron stopped twirling in a circle as the top covered with froth and bubbles. Star sniffed over top of the cauldron, reeling back and covering her nose when a pungent, rotten scent wafted under her nose.

"Okay Marco, ach—I"—Star sputtered into the vat—"I think it's almost ready," Star said, hacking her lungs out.

"Are you sure?" Marco asked. "According to the recipe, the mixture is supposed to smell like a dead, decaying skunk."

"Come smell it yourself." Star pressed her hand against the back of Janna's head.

Janna inhaled the caustic fluid deeply. She nipped the air above the cauldron a couple of times and said, "Yep, that's dead skunk." She wafted the air towards her nose once more. "There's a certain nuance and texture unique to a skunk." Janna raised the rising steam with her hand. "Ces't magnifique."

Marco peered into the bubbling cauldron, then back to Janna and said, "Janna, stop being weird."

"It's only weird if you let it be weird," Janna said with a shrug.

"O… kay," Star said. "Marco, what's next?"

"Add one drop of sodium acetate, and if we followed the instructions properly, we should have our own set of handmade grenades." Marco slid a flask across the table, handing it off to Star.

Star held the flask over the cauldron and positioned her arm to empty the entirety of its contents.

When Marco saw a rush of acid rush through the flask, he intervened, rushing to Star and twisting her hand straight before anything came out.

"One drop, Star." Marco took an eye dropper and siphoned a bit of sodium acetate from the flask. Holding the eyedropper over the cauldron, Marco dribbled a glob of the acid into it. Bubbles rose from the cauldron as the contents curdled into a wretched, brown mixture.

Star scooped up a portion with a ladle, pouring it into a spherical container.

"I'm not sure if this'll work," Marco said. "Janna doesn't have a very good track record when it comes to these things." A massive bubble floated over the cauldron. It flew up to the ceiling and popped when it touched. "Like, at all…"

"Come on, Marco, have a little faith in me," Janna pleaded.

Marco recalled the last time he placed his faith in Janna. He shut his eyes tight, instinctively shivering. He could still feel the bruises from long ago throbbing on top of his skin.

"Let's find out," Star said, plugging a hole in the container. As Star motioned her arm to shake the container, Marco pushed her hand down with a stern look.

"Outside the shed."

"Oh right, yeah, that probably makes sense." Star motioned the group out, before vigorously shaking the sphere with her other hand. A bit of foam seeped out the lid. Star tossed the container in the air.

The sphere exploded with a magnificent, blinding purple hue.

Star rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. Marco pressed on his still-ringing ears. Everyone else, aside from Jackie, laid on the ground, writhing in pain. Jackie scrubbed the inside of her ear with her pinky, before giving off a lackadaisical shrug.

Star held her wand up high, as a pale, shimmering light emanated from the wand, shining in all directions. Everybody stopped writhing in pain as Star kept the wand powered. The ringing and muddled vision disappeared.

"Can everybody hear me?" Star asked in a booming voice.

Everybody nodded as a murmur of agreement echoed from the middling crowd.

"Fantastic!" Star squealed in delight. "Let's go make more!"

"Ooh, can I take some home?" Ferguson asked.

"I don't see why not!" Star said, as she began to walk back.

Janna followed behind her and said, "I wanna see what happens if we add the purple stuff."

"Let's find out, then…"

As Star and the others re-entered the shed, Marco stepped towards the spot where the spherical explosive detonated. He picked up a small bit of debris off the ground. Marco examined the singed edges on the piece, rubbing off the dirt it had picked up from the ground.

"Heh, it worked," Marco muttered, "Well, what do ya know."

* * *

Marco, Star, and the others gathered in front of the house. Ferguson and Alfonso filled plastic bags with the spherical grenades. Jackie and Janna looked around the ruined front yard, from the burnt vegetation to the faint coating of spray paint still visible despite the intense scrubbing. The rustling leaves from the tree on the property to the right caught Marco's attention.

"So, now that we have enough bombs to turn Echo Creek into a crater, what now?" Jackie asked.

"I don't know." Star lowered her shoulders, reaching her arms into the bag of grenades and pilfering a few. "I liked Marco's idea of booby trapping the house."

"But that'll take us nowhere," Janna said, "they'll just find somewhere else to assassinate you two instead. I mean, do you really want to spend the rest of your life cooped-up inside Marco's house?"

"Well, Marco's house is pretty cool…"

Star noticed Janna's disgruntled expression.

"…but you're right, we have to find a _permanent_ solution to this." Star scanned her surroundings. "They could be anywhere, how do we even begin trying to find them?"

Jackie stepped close to Star, kicking away bits of debris. "Well, let's start by thinking like an assassin."

Star's ears perked up. "Go on…"

"You say these guys will go to any lengths to assassinate you, right? If _I_ were trying to hunt you down right now, where should _I_ be in order to get the best angle on you?" Jackie looked towards the rooftops on the other side of the street. She kept estimates of the distance from the rooftop to Star's position inside her head.

"Last night, someone was trying to snipe us from the house across the street." Star powered her wand. "I don't see anyone there."

Alfonso raised his shrill voice and said, "If they have laser rifles, maybe they have cloaking technology as well."

"Good point, Alfonso," Star replied, holding her wand across her body. "Maybe they're waiting in sight, waiting for me to let down my guard. Here's a little something for you, mister!" Star waved her wand horizontally. A massive airwave flew towards the house across the street, shattering the windows and ripping a few shingles from the roof. Nothing else fell down.

"Okay, maybe they're not on the roof." Star pointed her wand towards the damaged house. "Repairo Fixiatus!" A pink glow radiated out of the wand as the window shards reassembled themselves back into a single pane of glass. The shingles rose from the ground and attached themselves back onto the roof.

"Why didn't you do that when we nearly got arrested at the mall?" Janna asked.

Someone from the house tapped on the glass. The window pane collapsed into multiple pieces.

"It's a work in progress," Star said, as she shrugged.

Marco kept his eyes on the rustling tree. _It's not particularly windy today, is it,_ he thought. "I think there's something in the trees," Marco announced.

"Really?" Star questioned as a pink beam fired out of her wand. The beam struck the tree, setting it a blaze. The leaves and branches disintegrated into ash. Nothing else did, however. "Nope, nothing in the trees."

"Good guess though, Marco," Jackie said.

Marco's smile beamed as he savoured the compliment.

"Where else can they be?" Star asked no one in particular.

"Maybe they're right behind us?" Ferguson piped in.

Everyone else looked over their shoulders, only to find the wall of Marco's house behind them.

"What? It's just a suggestion."

"Come on guys, think," Star pleaded, "where else could an assassin get a clear shot on us?"

Nobody noticed a massive surge of electricity flowing through the power lines.

"Have we checked all the rooftops?" Janna asked.

The lights inside the Diaz residence flickered on and off.

"That would take too long," Marco said. "Honestly, we don't even know what kind of weaponry these guys are equipped with. Who knows, maybe the assassins don't even need to be in our general vicinity to kill us."

"Still, it's better to check, right?" Jackie asked, peering over the distant rooftops.

Marco pursed his lips together and rubbed the back of his head. "I guess you have a point." He took a moment to scan through the entire neighbourhood. "But where do we start—"

"How about, everywhere." Star powered her wand and fired rainbow ballistic missiles out of it. Marco and the rest pressed their hands against their ears instinctively. The rockets struck every bush, densely-covered tree and bit of cover that could conceal a person all throughout the neighbourhood. Dirt sprouted out from the ground as explosions filled the street. Fires sprouted out from the impacted spots as people went out to investigate. One of them collapsed from a heart attack after seeing all the destruction.

"Okay"—Star shoved her wand into her bag—"I think I just blasted every last bit of cover in the neighbourhood and as far as I can see…" Star stood up on her toes to get a better view. "No assassins anywhere."

"Oh gosh, my house is on fire!" Someone across the neighbourhood screamed.

"Alfonso, come with me!" Marco and Alfonso rushed over to the house. "I'll be right back."

Ferguson shuffled a bit closer to Star. "So, I've been meaning to ask you for a _long_ while now Star, um, I know you and Marco are just friends right? So, I was wondering, if you're not busy with assassin-y stuff on Saturday, maybe we could like, catch a movie or something, or—"

"Alright, so there's no assassins at the moment," Janna said, lightly shoving Ferguson aside. Ferguson tilted his head down with a frown. "At the very least, now there's nowhere any assassins can hide if they try again."

"I guess," Star said, rocking her wand back and forth.

"Maybe they're still behind us," Ferguson piped in.

Jackie chuckled and said, "Yeah, like an assassin is just gonna materialize right behind us—"

The crackling of electricity split the air. Everyone in its vicinity turned their heads over to the roof of the Diaz house as a bolt of lightning shot out the black antenna. It fired straight up as someone emerged from the bolt.

Star watched as the person in a red suit rag-dolled down the roof of the house, rolling down to the ground with a hard thud.

A rifle slid towards Jackie's feet. Jackie picked it up, gazing over the chrome exterior of the laser rifle.

When the assassin trudged back up, Star fired a red, cylindrical projectile straight at the assassin. The assassin collided with Marco's garage, denting the exterior as Star heard a barely audible crack. He slid down the garage and collapsed into a heap.

Star reeled back, clenching her teeth at the sight, while Jackie and Janna rushed over to the assassin. Ferguson kept staring at the dent in the garage. Jackie pressed two fingers underneath his throat.

"Yup, he's still alive, Star." Jackie kept tabs on the assassin.

Star kept her eyes on the assassin. It wore the same red suit from last night's assassination attempt. The same red fabric; the same mask.

Bits of shattered blue glass lay beside the seemingly unconscious body.

"Take him to the shed," Janna said, "now."

* * *

Percy stared at the swirling vortex forming in the middle of the table. Bits and scraps of metal gravitated towards the center of invisible spiral, floating aimlessly. Percy picked up one of the munchkins off the floor and held it above the gravity-less field. When he released it, the munchkin waddled its arms uselessly as it approached the center.

Percy ignored the wailing noise from the munchkin. "I see, so the displacement field makes objects gravitate towards the center. Cool."

A mechanical arm emerged out of Percy's back. Percy looked over his shoulder, noticing the darkened wire strands embedded in his skin. He felt a ticklish sensation as the wires wiggled inside his skin.

"Now, let see if _this_ function is finally working." With a single thought, Percy issued an order to the mechanical arm. A blood-red light glowed from the palm, before it flickered once. A digital copy of Percy phased into existence.

"Hey, it worked," both Percys said in unison.

The two Percys glared at each other and said, "Stop it."

"Stop what?" both asked.

The copy let out a hearty chuckle. "Sorry, couldn't help myself," the digital replica said.

"I know," the real Percy replied. "It never gets old." Percy motioned the copy to move to the side. He powered up his mechanical arm once more, aiming it out at the window. "Hey, P-2, can you test something out for me?"

The copy nodded.

A blast of air shot out from the palm of the arm. Every vehicle, shrub, and piece of trash rose from the ground. Everything collided in the center of the parking lot. A few bystanders who stopped to stare at the commotion were vacuumed by the field.

"Now, I don't recall, are you still equipped with propulsion shoes?" Percy asked.

The copy blasted off the ground, propelled by a rush of air shooting out of the soles of its shoes.

"Think you can navigate through the anti-gravity field?"

"I might as well try," the digital copy said, flying out the window.

"Good luck!" Percy pondered other ways to use the digital copies. A holographic notification blind-sided Percy. He opened it and an overload of information popped up in front of his eyes. Percy swiped to the right until he reached a summary of the report:

 _Unit-007 condition unknown. Unit lost._

"Well that ain't good." Percy skimmed through the report.

Outside, the copy struggled to maintain any form of control as debris smashed on its face. As it rubbed its bruised face, a decrepit minivan struck the copy. The digital replica phased out of existence.

Percy snickered quietly, keeping his eyes on the gravity field. The mechanical arm's palm flickered once more, constructing a new copy, as eager as the previous one.

"See if you can last more than ten seconds in there," Percy ordered his clone, pointing out the window.

* * *

Janna wrapped the chain one more time around the assassin sitting in the chair. After she looped it, Janna struggled to put a padlock to bind the chain. Janna stepped back from the chair, taking a look at the chained up hostage in front of her.

"Think you put _enough_ locks in there, Janna?" Jackie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're right, Jackie"—Star held her wand above the assassin, summoning more chains to wrap around the bound hostage—"More locks!"

The assassin sputtered, coughing out hard against the chains.

"Oh…" Star waved her wand, removing multiple layers of chains wrapped around the assassin's body. "Never mind, I think there's enough locks".

Marco and Alfonso popped in from outside. Marco dusted off his singed, ragged sweater. "Next time Star, warn everybody if you're gonna blast"—Marco stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the body clad in red, bound to a wooden chair. "What did we miss?"

"One of the assassins happened to show up, out of nowhere," Janna said, "and now he's our hostage." Janna tapped on his head lightly, watching it wobble.

"Woah," Marco mouthed under his breath. "Looking at it up close, kinda looks… inhuman? Is it even breathing?"

Janna pressed two fingers underneath the assassin's collarbone and replied, "Yeah, it's still alive."

Jackie kept her gaze aimed towards the assassin. "So what now? We have one of them here, what should we do with it?"

"We should take off his mask, reveal his face to the world," Alfonso suggested, stepping up to the bound assassin.

"Yeah, rip his mask off," Ferguson said. "So we can know whose face we're gonna punch in!"

"Yeah." Star stood in front of the assassin, grabbing the edge of the mask from the bottom. "What kind of monster would harass Marco and me, and put the school in danger?" Star yanked the mask off in one fell swoop.

The assassin's brunette bangs fell over her eyes. She struggled to lift her head up as she writhed in searing pain.

"Sabrina?!" everyone yelped in unison.

"Oh jeez," Sabrina muttered, "this is kinda awkward now, isn't it." Sabrina shifted her eyes towards her wrist. She chuckled as she found nothing attached to it. _Yes, it's gone._

"That's one way to put it," Marco said. Silence hung in the room for what seemed like hours. Everyone kept their eyes peeled towards Sabrina.

"There's a lot of questions that need answering right now," Marco said.

"Like, why are you and your assassin friends trying to kill us?" Star asked.

"Well—"

"Who are you working for?" Marco asked.

"I can explain—"

"And how did you just pop out of electricity earlier?" Jackie asked.

"You see—"

"And where did you get that tacky red su—"

"Can you just let me talk?!" Sabrina heaved a heavy breath. "Okay, where do I begin?"

"Let's start with the whole, guys-in-red-suits deal," Marco suggested.

"Fair enough," Sabrina said. "So, for the record, I don't have anything against you and I don't want to kill either of you."

"Then why have you tried to—"

"It was all Brittney's idea!" Sabrina sputtered. "This is all her fault! It was her stupid idea to turn the cheer squad into the 'Kill Star Butterfly' club."

Everyone else stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Wait, what?"

Sabrina let out a deep breath and said, "It's been Sabrina and the spirit team that have been trying to assassinate you, Star."

"So all of the ambushes, the snipers, and the spray painting, that was all Brittney?" Star asked.

"Yep." Sabrina nodded before stopping in place. "Actually, I'm not sure about the spray painting. Brittney gets really moody if paint gets on her, so I don't know about that."

Star couldn't think of anything meaningful to say. A slight chill rushed down Star's spine as she took a moment to assess everything. "Why, though? And where did she get all that laser stuff?"

"Remember when you and Janna stole Brittney's credit card and maxed it out in the span of an hour?" Sabrina prodded.

"Well, it wasn't so much as stealing it, as it was Brittney literally throwing it at us," Janna said, reminiscing about that day, "but go on…"

"She was really peeved. She wouldn't shut up about you two." Sabrina stared down at the wooden floor boards. "She wanted revenge. Badly. So then this guy showed up, giving her all these advanced, futuristic weapons for free, practically."

"Who?" Marco inquired.

"I don't know, some purple-haired hobo or whatever."

"Purple-haired, hobo?" Marco clutched his chest, around the area where a bolt of lightning had struck him a while ago. A certain sensation drove down on his back, almost as if something was crushing down on him. Marco turned his eyes towards Star; they both stared at each other with whimpering, trembling eyes.

"Yeah. I don't know what his deal is, but he gave Brittney a bunch of futuristic tech." Sabrina darted her eyes towards Jackie. "And then she distributed all of it to everyone in the spirit club. She promised us free Hexon gift cards if we helped her out with this."

"So you've been hunting Star and Marco for a gift card?" Jackie asked.

"If you put it like that, it really sounds bad, doesn't it?" Sabrina said. "At this point I don't really care about the gift cards, I just wanted to move on with my life. The gadgets Brittney got started messing with us. They started to function on its own, activating randomly and stuff. I kept trying to tell everyone that Star wasn't worth it anymore, but no one would listen. That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"What do you mean?" Star asked.

"Well, I figured the earlier you died, the earlier I'd stop having to deal with Brittney. Maybe she'd be less overbearing in general. So, I decided to try and assassinate you myself." Sabrina bit her lower lip, clenching her teeth tight. "Sorry. It's nothing personal, though, I swear."

Star waved her wand in front of Sabrina, making all the chains fastened around her disappear. Sabrina stretched her arms up high. "Is there anyone else coming?"

"No, not that I know of," Sabrina responded. "Brittney and the rest of the cheer squad are probably at Hexon right now, discussing 'strategies' and 'plans.'"

"If that's the case," Marco said, "then I think we can deal with Brittney and the cheer squad fairly easily. Sabrina, you have Brittney's number?"

Sabrina nodded.

"Then text her; tell her Star and I are coming alone. 'Rest of you, better carry as many of those grenades as you can. We're going to Hexon to deal with her once and for all. "

"Umm, Marco, I'm not sure if we can match Brittney's fire power with a few measly grenades," Ferguson said.

"The grenades will only be for an emergency," Marco reassured everyone. "If we do this right, we won't even have to use a single one."

"Wait, what are you planning, Marco?" Star asked.

"Well, Star, it's something I like to call, 'Hank Innocent's Grand Gambit.'"

"Oh yeah, from the new Hank Innocent movie," Jackie said with a wry smile. "Who's going to play the 'bait'?"

"Leave that to me and Star," Marco said. "Star, do you mind if we bring Manny along?"

Star shrugged.

* * *

Hexon employees forced crowds away from the parking lot. The employees couldn't give a reasonable explanation for cordoning off the parking lot, aside from 'Mrs. Wong's request.'

Star and Marco walked down the Hexon mall parking lot side-by-side. Cars lined up in rows, filling up acres of space with parked vehicles. Decent cover for any assassin or soldier. For such a massive space crowded with vehicles, aside from the odd person or two, the vast expanse felt empty, devoid of life. Wind blew straight at their faces, as various strewn flyers flew past. Still, Star and Marco kept walking.

Marco hoped he gave enough details to Sabrina to text to Brittney. _Hexon Parking Lot, targets out in the open,_ Marco specified earlier. 'Hank Innocent's Grand Gambit' requires specific timing and positioning to pull off properly; otherwise Marco and Star would be executed on the spot. With that in mind, Marco kept Star an inch away at all times.

Finally, a red-suited assassin, armed with their signature laser rifle materialized in front of Star and Marco.

 _Let's do this,_ Marco thought.

Star readied her wand, letting the insignia glow bright and aiming it at the assassin.

Multiple laser pointers from every direction targeted Marco and Star.

"Put the wand down," The red-suited figure commanded.

Star peered towards Marco. "Marco—"

"Do as they say, trust me."

Star dropped the wand, holding her hands out and the wand hit the pavement.

"Kick it over."

Star pushed the wand over with her foot. She kept her attention to the assassin, who bent down towards the wand.

Another red dot pointed at the assassin. In the back, Sabrina struggled to keep her aim steady with the laser pen.

"I wouldn't even try to pick it up if I were you," Star suggested.

The assassin in front of Star and Marco lowered their rifle down to their hip.

"Things get pretty weird when someone else picks up the wand," Star said, "and besides, you don't want the wand, do you? You want me."

The assassin aimed down the sights, keeping it pointed straight towards Star in particular.

"Yeah, _Brittney_ , this why you're doing all this, right?" Star asked disingenuously. "This was all about me from the start." Star breathed in deeply, ignoring the red dots on her face. "So, what are your goons waiting for?"

"If I had to be honest…" The assassin unmasked herself, revealing her snobbish face to the two. "I'd rather see you suffer first. It's the only thing money can't buy," Brittney said.

"I should've known it was you." Marco tilted his head towards Brittney. "But I shouldn't be surprised; you are Echo Creek's richest snob, of course you'd have access to some high-end futuristic tech."

"My wealth is a blessing and a curse." Brittney brought her fingernails up to her face, casually examining them. "It's pretty easy for people to _take_ it and _abuse_ it, you know."

Star slumped her shoulders, breathing out a heavy sigh. "Look, I'm sorry, okay. I didn't know there was a limit on the card. Still, Janna and I shouldn't have bought anything with it in the first place." She pointed to her wand lying beside Brittney's feet. "If you pass me that wand, I can whip up as much gold as you want. What do you say?"

Brittney tapped underneath her chin, staring upwards feigning thought. She aimed down the sights of her rifle. "Nah."

"Seriously!" Marco screamed. "Star can probably make billions of dollars' worth of gold appear out of thin air, but you won't take it?

"Diaz, it's the principle, not the money." Brittney pumped the rifle. "Star wronged me, and now she needs to be punished appropriately. Which means you both get fried by lasers."

Marco didn't dare to move; he rolled his eyes to every infrared beam pointing towards his face.

"I'd like to think I'm doing Echo Creek a favour for getting rid of you," Brittney said. "One less loud, annoying, over-bearing person to ruin everyone's lives. I would say I'm gonna miss you, but let's be honest, I won't. And sorry Diaz, it's nothing personal. I already cleared the area, you're the only witness left." The loud buzzing sound emanated from her rifle. "Either of you have any last words?"

"Well, if you ever try this assassin shtick again, please remember one thing," Marco replied.

"A laser pointer works both ways."

The red laser dots cleared away from Marco and Star's faces, waving frantically in the air.

On the outskirts of the parking lot, Janna smashed a lead pipe over one of the assassins, knocking her out.

On the other side, Jackie tossed one of the homemade grenades, primed and ready, off beside her target. In the midst of the explosion, she grabbed the laser gun from behind, ripping it away from the assassin. Jackie pointed it straight to her target, incapacitating her.

After spotting Chantelle close to Brittney, Sabrina tossed the pen aside and pounced on the unsuspecting assassin.

Brittney turned around and cringed when she heard the sounds of a Manticore roaring in the air.

Marco rushed for Brittney. He pushed her rifle off to the side and shoved her off to the left.

Star rolled for her wand, grabbing it by the handle. "Rainbow Chains of The Alicorns!" A multi-coloured beam shot out of her wand, ensnaring Brittney in streams of rainbows. When the beam sputtered out, Star watched Brittney struggle against the rainbow-coloured cocoon.

Marco and Star towered over the ensnared assassin wearing hearty grins.

"W-what just happened?" Brittney asked, slurring her words.

"Hank Innocent's Grand Gambit," Marco responded. "In a situation with multiple attackers, all Star and I had to do was keep everyone distracted, while the others pinpoint the snipers. A fairly simple concept, but hey, tactics over technology, right?"

The rest of Star's team gathered around her, bringing in their incapacitated targets. Manny held onto three of the assassins by his teeth. Jackie, Janna and Sabrina pulled in their respective targets.

Ferguson and Alfonso struggled to drag their target, as Brittney's crony fidgeted and thrashed around in their grasp, screaming in the process.

"I think that's all of them," Jackie said.

"This isn't over yet," Brittney shouted, "This isn't—"

Star compelled the cocoon to wrap around Brittney's mouth. As it covered Brittney's mouth, the only sounds coming from the girl were muffled shrieks and obscenities.

"So, what do we do about these guys now?" Janna asked.

Ferguson raised his hand. "Oh, maybe we can—"

Chantelle's body convulsed, as Sabrina lost her grip on her.

"Oh no," Sabrina muttered, treading back.

Soon, every member from Brittney's squad, excluding Sabrina, dropped to their knees. Each of them groaned in searing pain as a few either clutched their foreheads or dropped to a fetal position. Even Brittney untangled herself from her bonds, as the red mask formed around her face, almost suffocating her.

Marco and Star stepped back, as masks covered the faces of the assassins. Their wrists glowed sky blue as their bodies convulsed in weird directions.

"What is going on here?" Star and Marco asked.

As Brittney's squads' screams of agony rose to a crescendo, a bolt of lightning struck the ground with a sudden roar. Out from the billowing smoke, a familiar, purple-haired figure appeared.

Star and Marco immediately set themselves up for a fight, as Brittney and her squad stood behind Percy.

Marco shook, struggling to steady himself. Brittney and the cheer squad's blue, glowing eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

"If you want to do something right, you gotta do it yourself," Percy said with a hearty chuckle.

 _Override engaged._

* * *

 **Well, that was something. I hope that was kinda fun. I guess there wasn't as much hunting as I thought there would be in this episode. Ah well, more violence for the next part.**

 **Thanks for Reading!**


	22. The Hunter or The Hunted Part 4

**Episode 8: The Hunter or The Hunted Part 4**

 **Synopsis: When a mysterious group of assassins puts Star on their hit-list, Star enlists the help of Marco and a few people from Echo Creek Academy to hunt them down first. But lurking in the back, someone more dangerous than a group of hitmen is waiting.**

 **Special thanks to the betas of course:**

 **PaintedPetrichor  
Sabrina06  
**

 **Credit to kprovido from DeviantArt for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Earlier That Morning**

Star pulled up the chair in front of her desk. She sat down while staring at the sheet of paper in front of her. She grabbed the edge and pulled it in front of her face.

 _Mom must have sent this while I was asleep,_ Star thought. She turned her head and glanced at the clock to her right, noticing the hour hand resting on the seven. Star yawned, proclaiming three hours of sleep is not enough, at all.

Star read the page from the top. " _I'm sorry…"_ In a hushed whisper, she recited the phrases inked onto the aged sheet. She glanced over the curly tips on the edge of each letter as her lips echoed the dialect older than Mewni itself.

The day her mother had her memorize her first spell came back to her.

* * *

A young Star, barely older than a toddler, slouched on a wooden chair similar to the one in her room, looked out the watch tower opening. She watched the children her age running through the fields as they smiled and laughed.

Her mother's voice echoed through the room, pulling Star's attention back to the front.

 _"Star, darling, I need you to pay attention."_

 _"Yes, mommy."_

 _"Star, this is incredibly important. If there comes a time where the wand is about to fall into the wrong hands, it is your duty as princess to destroy it before that comes to pass. Do I make myself clear?"_

Star nodded indifferently.

* * *

Back in her room, as Star reached the middle of the passage, a faint echo distracted her, making it impossible to read. Star looked on her desk and noticed her wand lying beside a bottle of ink. The edges around the Star insignia began to blacken and fade.

In a frenzy, Star clutched her wand close, muttering 'no's' under her breath. _I didn't mean it, stop._ Star brushed her wand, caressing the backside with the palm of her hand. As colour returned to the edges, Star let out a deep sigh, wiping the sweat off her brow.

 _That was close._

Star heard a massive yawn call out behind her. She turned around and saw Marco trudge his way over to her.

"You're up pretty early," Marco said. "Couldn't sleep, huh."

Star shrugged. "Eh, who needs sleep anyways?"

"If you say so. Mom's probably already made coffee." Marco stretched his arms out before opening the door. "Try not to take too much of it though, remember the last time?"

"What? I cleaned up the wreckage after, didn't I?"

"I guess. We got a big day ahead of us anyways, so hurry up." Marco chuckled as he closed the door behind him.

Star looked back at her desk, letting her eyes drop to the sheet of paper. She held her wand up and set it on the desk as well.

"You're overreacting, Star," She told herself as she scrunched up the sheet of paper. "It won't have to come to this. I mean"—Star powered her wand, letting it emit a radiant glow—"who could even stop me when I have this thing?"

* * *

"Well, howdy y'all," Percy addressed.

Star and Marco maintained their composure, steadying their stances. Star held her wand out, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Marco positioned himself with his fist clutched back and his other hand outwards. He struggled to maintain a confident posture when he heard the faint pleas for help coming from Brittney's squad.

Ferguson lowered himself behind a car, pulling Alfonso down beside him.

"Who are you?" Janna said, pointing a finger straight towards the purple haired figure.

"The name's Percival. Percival Leopold Middleton the third." Percy exuded a natural, playful grin as his mechanical arm popped out of his robe, over his shoulder. "This here's Bessie, and we got a job that's long overdue. And it involves the blonde lil' cutie standin' in front of me."

Star grimaced and fired a fireball straight towards Percy, who sidestepped it, letting it hit the ground and extinguishing itself.

"A hello would've sufficed," Percy said.

"So, you're the one that's really behind all this?" Marco asked, feigning surprise.

"How perceptive of you, Marco," Percy said with a smirk. "Well, it's not entirely correct. The only thing I did was give these girls a few random knick-knacks lyin' around, and left them to their own devices. But, sorry to say, you girls weren't doin' you're jobs properly; so I guess I have to step in now. You don't mind, right girls?"

"I can't feel my arms," one of the girls behind Percy said.

"Why can't I move anything!?" Chantelle asked, failing to move her rifle away from them.

"Hey guys, watch this!" Percy shuffled on the spot, sliding his foot along the ground, alternating between each foot. The assassins' legs stiffened as their torsos rotated to the side in a snap. Their legs twisted unnaturally as they shuffled on the spot in-sync with Percy.

Sabrina watched in horror as her spirit team suffered in harmony, unable to silence their moans of agony. She checked her empty wrist, then back at the squad of red jumpsuits behind Percy. She closed her eyes, giving a slight moan, relieved she wasn't one of the spirit girls in red.

"See, they don't mind," Percy said, pulling himself to a stop.

"Why are you doing this?" Star asked. "What do you have against me?"

"Me? Have anything against you?" Percy pushed his arms downwards as the squad behind him lowered their weapons simultaneously. "I don't have anything against you at all. This is just business, Star."

"Wha?" Star narrowed her eyes towards the purple-haired tech mage. "What do you mean, business?" She asked, uncertainty in her voice.

"Well Star, there are some nasty folks that're hankerin' for that lil' wand of yours." The mechanical arm pointed a finger to the scepter Star held in her hand, only for her to reel it back slightly. "I ain't one of them, but a few made some offers I couldn't resist."

Percy pointed a finger to Brittney from behind, and motioned her to come beside him. Brittney stepped forwards with great difficulty, as if she were pulled over like a marionette. With another snap, Brittney froze in place.

"As I said before, Brittney and her friends here volunteered to help," Percy explained. "I probably could've done this myself, but how can I say no to their generosity. But they haven't been doin' such a good job, so I guess I have to step in. Believe me, I'd rather be at home right now, fixin' up the place, but a job's a job, right?"

Star stood in place, ready to fight alongside Marco.

"You know, there was a simpler way to do this, wasn't there?" Percy marched up to Star, ignoring the scowl on her face. "Star, may I take the wand off your hands—"

Star shot out a red ball of energy straight to Percy's face. Percy wrapped his cloak around his face, blocking it. The ball pushed Percy back. Percy swung his arm to the side, shifting the ball away. The ball of energy exploded off in the distance.

"Well, a simple 'no' would suffice," Percy responded.

"If you want this wand so much, you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands," Star said, pointing the radiating wand facing Percy's vicinity.

"If that's what you wish, that can be arranged."

Percy shaped his fingers into a gun and pointed it towards Star's faction.

The assassins aimed and fired a volley of laser fire, as everyone else, aside from Star, scattered for cover.

Star swished her wand vertically, summoning a massive heart-shaped shield in front of her. The barrage of red beams crashed into the shield, absorbing into the surface as Star struggled to maintain it.

Percy unleashed his death ray straight at the heart, firing it upwards from the bottom as a secondary explosion detonated along the laser's trail. A crack formed through the middle.

With a smirk, Star whipped her wand downwards. The salvo of laser fire rebounded back to Percy and his soldiers. They scattered for their own cover as a red beam trailed down the path, along with the salvo.

"Let's do this!" Star said, twirling her wand as her squad popped out from cover.

A cloud of lightning covered the parking lot. "Spread out! Keep'em split." Percy commanded as he and his soldiers morphed into the electrical field.

Behind a red sedan, Ferguson and Alfonso fumbled with a grenade. A lightning bolt struck in front of them, as a fidgety Ferguson lobbed it on the ground without a shake. As a red suited assassin emerged from the ground, something smashed over her head, dropping her. Janna popped up behind the assassin and handed the grenade over to the two.

"Don't let these go to waste."

Janna vaulted over a car hood as a bolt of lightning struck the ground behind her. She grabbed a grenade from inside her jacket. She gave it a shake before lobbing it behind her and covering her ears. A shade of purple flashed behind her. She snagged another.

Star and Marco sprinted, side-by-side, as one bolt touched the pavement in front and another from behind.

"Skullblast!" Star conjured a skull above her head, which fired a continuous blue ray straight the assassin. The assassin dropped to the ground, a burnt crisp.

Marco jumped and spin-kicked the assassin behind, knocking her to the side.

"We should be careful, Star," Marco said, "we go to school with these girls."

"I know," Star replied. Another assassin popped out from cover. The floating skull fired another blue beam.

Percy rematerialized a bit further away from the chaos. He raised a glowing hand in the air.

Further back, Sabrina watched as the ensuing car wreckage rise up, clumping together into a metallic monstrosity.

Star fired a beam of concentrated power towards the creature in front, along with the skull. A portion of wreckage flew off it, but it marched on, unfazed. As Star raised her wand to conjure more skulls above her head, Manny leapt in front with Jackie riding on his back.

"Me and him will deal with the spirit club and whatever that metal thing is," Jackie said as she pumped the laser rifle once. "Go deal with the three-armed freak. Seems you guys have some unfinished business with him"

Star and Marco nodded. They rushed deeper into the parking lot, as Marco tossed a grenade to the side.

The grenade exploded in front of three assassins, blasting them back. One of them flailed her arms as she struck a car, shattering her bracelet. She sighed in relief as the blue, glowing eyes on the mask faded and the girl collapsed into a heap on the ground.

Percy fired a death ray along the line of cars. As the laser pierced the exterior, the reddened trail exploded in its wake, sending car debris flying Star's way.

Star summoned a dome, covering her and Marco. The debris struck the dome, stopping it in place as it slid down the sides.

"Star, you have a solid plan to deal with Percy?" Marco asked.

Star cupped her free hand under her chin, staring up to the sky. "I was thinking, we run up to him and blast him into oblivion."

"I'm not sure running straight at him is a good idea, Star"—sounds of the death ray explosions caused Marco to freeze up—"Maybe we should try to come in at an in angle, so we won't get fried by the exploding laser."

Star conjured up several giant, floating skulls, smoke billowing from their mouths. "So I blast him straight on, while you ambush him from the side?"

Marco rubbed the back of his head and said, "Well, I don't know if you want me to be the one ambushing but—"

Star punted Marco off to the side. "Then come on, haste makes waste!"

Marco ran off to face Percy as Star prepared the barrage of skull blasts. Star fired a line of rainbows behind her, as the assassin from behind became entangled.

 _Silencing Field Activated._

The twang of cold, rusty metal engulfed Star's tongue as something chilling wrapped around her whole body.

"You're comin' with me, missy."

Star's calls for Marco were muffled as her body altered into an electrical current.

Marco ducked and covered against the shower of laser fire, as Percy took cover behind another line of cars. Marco beelined for Percy, skittering away to the side of the death ray as it approached him. He barely dodged the oncoming explosion down the singed trail. With a running start, Marco leapt into the air, twisting his foot off to the side. It collided with Percy on the side of his face, knocking him on his back.

Percy turned his head upwards. "Hiya, Marco, how ya doin'?"

Marco raised his fists in front of his chest, readying himself.

"Not much for talkin' are ya?" Percy summoned his pair of pink gauntlets, wrapping them around his fists. "That's fine. Let's just have a good time, shall we?"

* * *

The Hexon employees struggled to maintain their composure as a crowd of impatient, riled-up mall patrons tried to shove their way back to their cars.

Everyone's attention turned to the sounds of shattering glass. Many of the neon signs posted above the stores shattered to pieces one after another. A bolt of lightning crashed to the ground, as two beings emerged from the lightning.

Star and Percy tumbled to the floor as they rolled to a rough stop.

"Leave me and Marco alone!" Star hopped up first, powering her wand and firing a volley of heart-tipped arrows straight to the tech mage lying on the floor.

Percy rolled to the side, the arrows exploded as they struck the ground.

"Well shoot. That clone trick didn't exactly work out properly," Percy said, catching his breath. "You're supposed to come with me all the way back to Echo Palto." He hopped back to dodge the next volley. "You ain't gonna make this easy for me, aren't ya? Believe me, Star, I hate harmin' pretty ladies."

"Lotus Flower Storm!"

As soon as he heard the spark, Percy activated his rocket boots and drifted to the side. He grazed past a storm of speeding loti, letting them pierce the walls and glass behind him.

"Well, that settles it then, I ain't gonna make this easy for you!" Kicking up dust, Percy blasted down the hallway on his rocket shoes.

"Come back here!"

Star trailed behind him, propelling herself with streams of rainbows shot out of her wand. A blood-red laser trailed along the ground and approached her. Star swerved to the left, as the trail exploded in its wake.

The explosion charred all the plants to a crisp. A singed trail split the floor.

She gripped her wand and shot the streams faster, thrusting herself forwards, right beside Percy.

"You know, in retrospect, I probably should've tried to take your wand in the first place. Instead, I let Brittney and her friends mess around with my stuff, for nothing." Percy held out his arm and directed it towards Star. "But, what's past is past. Now, let's see if this still works!"

Star felt a speck of something land on her shoulder. Bessie fired a short, blue beam. Star tried to dodge it, but the beam still nailed Star's shoulder. She plunged to the ground, bouncing on the floor as she skidded across the hallway.

A mother and her child, dove away from the stumbling Star.

Relentless, Star released the stream of rainbows from her wand mid-tumble. She continued to trail Percy, scuffing the burn off her shoulder.

Percy turned around to face Star. Pulling his right fist to the left, he released a line of specks flying right towards Star.

She plunged to the ground with a roll, evading the line of targeters. With a sprinting start, she launched back into the air, chasing the tech mage. Star noticed Bessie's palm glow red.

"Skullblast!" A giant skull popped up and fired a blue ray, striking Percy down. However, when Percy hit the floor, he phased into static, disappearing from sight.

"Wha?" The crackling of electricity behind Star made her eyes widen.

"Behind you!"

Star swerved away from the death ray, feeling the heat of the explosion behind her. When she reached the Hexon atrium, she landed on the floor with her two feet. Star perceived a wave flow through her body.

Everything from customers to all the items floated upwards, off the ground. The statue of Mr. Wong at the centre of the mall raised up off the ground.

The mall customers drifted in the air, bumping into tables, other people, among other things.

Star fluttered further when she noticed a tiny infant float towards the centre of the room. She gasped as it barely dodged the flying chairs. Star sighed when its mother clasped onto it.

Star tried to tune out the screams, homing in on Percy. She grasped onto an ice cream stand, letting herself float towards the statue of Mr. Wong at the centre of the mall. Star pushed off the stand and drifted off to avoid the oncoming debris.

When Percy reached the atrium, he stood still to admire the efficacy of his gravity field. Then he flew straight into it.

Star grasped to the detached billboard for cover.

"Who's ordering you to steal my wand?" She popped over and fired a ray of butterflies to the bit of cover Percy latched onto. When it struck, the cover morphed into a bunch of butterflies.

As Percy drifted to the next bit, Star fired again, transforming it into another batch of butterflies.

"Oh just, some mutant bird thing that goes by the name, _Ludo._ He's this tiny lil thing, with a really shrill voice. But he pays well."

Percy fired his death ray as Star dove downwards. The laser trailed along the statue of Mr. Wong, as the oncoming blast demolished it.

Gravity returned and everything rained down to the floor, Star included.

"It doesn't matter how much he's paying you; do you have any idea what'll happen if Ludo gets this wand?" Star held her wand out, letting everything, including the customers, gently drift to the ground. "Worlds will be destroyed, people will be constantly screaming in terror, planets could be turned into _plants_ , or the universe will just flat-out explode!"

Star settled on the ground, as Percy landed with a pirouette. Percy primed Bessie to fire, the palm glowing red.

"EVERYBODY, RUN!" Star screamed, moving out of the way of fleeing customers.

With a scowl, Star powered her wand once more and scurried towards Percy.

"You know, I had the same reservations about it as you do." Percy flipped his cloak over, disappearing from sight.

Star drifted to a stop, as two Percys materialized on both sides.

"But then I think of home, and figured, what's the harm?" Percy asked. Star sprinted as the Percy behind her fired a death ray.

"Encoria will just kill 'emselves off on their own…" The Percy in front unleashed a salvo of target markers. "…so will many, many other planets in the universe. What's the point of striving to the save the world when in the end, they'll destroy themselves and _choke out every bit of good that's left?"_

Star slid underneath the salvo. The dots grazed over her head.

"Tell me Star, what's the harm in lettin' a tiny power-hungry runt have a little taste of _it_?"

Star scowled, gritting her teeth. "Well taste this! Strawberry Soft-Serve Fusillade!" Star launched numerous missiles of strawberry ice-cream scoops, pushing Percy straight into the wall.

The Percy Star struck, vanished in static.

"Star, I'm not doing this for any _heightened, over-blown_ cause." Behind, Percy raised a glowing hand up in the air, raising bits and pieces of metal across the room. "This is just work, I just want to get by."

A luminescent lasso wrapped around Percy's waist.

"Well, I'm not gonna let the universe get destroyed over your stupid job." Star pulled on the rope released by her wand, towing Percy over. When they looked at each other face-to-face, her wand transformed into a giant mallet. Star smashed it on top of Percy, slamming him to the ground.

Next, Star struck the ground. A fissure on the floor formed and a ridge of stone spawned from it, striking Percy on the back and into the air.

Percy re-activated his rocket shoes, using a free hand to massage his now aching back. "You got me good, Star." As Star prepped her wand, Percy fired another soundwave into the air. Everything rose from the ground once more. "I'll say this again, I hate harmin' pretty ladies."

Star aimed her wand at Percy, only for him to disappear once more. Numerous copies flooded the atrium, surrounding her. Each of them had a primed laser, ready to fire.

"I'll give you five seconds to release the wand before I burn you to a crisp!"

Star shuffled through her bag for a grenade. As she grabbed a hold of one, it floated away.

Star hovered backwards and fired a tiny spark aimed at the grenade.

* * *

Back in the parking lot, Marco flew back-first into the front of a jeep. He lifted his head up to find Percy pouncing, gauntlets out. He rolled off to the side as Percy struck one of the headlights, shattering it.

"I have to say, Marco, you're pretty good at this hand-to-hand combat thing"—Percy unveiled his mechanical arm, powering it up—"It's a shame I don't have much patience for it."

"Neither do I." With the brunt of his arm, Marco knocked Bessie to the side, turning it away from him. Marco lifted his leg and smashed it onto Percy's kneecap. As Percy dropped to his knees, Marco took a grenade, shoving it into Percy's palm with a shake. Finally, Marco bucked Percy away, covering his eyes as the flash of purple blasted through the air.

"Yeah!" Marco cheered, thrusting an exhausted fist into the air. He slouched in front of the jeep, chuckling to himself. His relief was short-lived when the smoke cleared up, revealing a wounded Percy clutching his stomach, coughing. With a scowl, Marco stood up and pulled out another grenade. Marco froze for a moment when he saw a bit of Percy fade in static.

"Nicely done, Marco," 'Percy' said, sputtering out static. "You're a competent fighter, I respect that. Ah well, I did my job, so all is still well."

"Wait, what?" Marco asked.

"I'm just a simple clone, you know?" 'Percy' raised an eyebrow, which flickered with static. "I just had to keep you guys busy while the _real_ Percy dealt with Star and the wand."

"Oh no." Marco's pupils dilated while he pulled the Percy clone by the collar. "Where is she—"

Marco's attention turned to the sound of a blast deep in the mall. The sound of crumbling walls filled the air. He felt something reverberate around the parking lot.

"Oh my, sounds like neither of them are having a good time." The rest of the Percy clone's body began to dissipate. "I wouldn't worry about them, there's someone right behind you that's definitely more important."

Something massive landed on the ground, cracking the ground Marco stood on.

"Bye, bye now!"

The Percy clone disappeared.

Marco's pupils dilated as guttural roars filled his ears.

* * *

 **Looks like I'll need another chapter for this. Ah well, that's fine. Seems like Marco and Star are having a bad time, though.**

 **Thanks for Reading!**


	23. The Hunter or The Hunted FINALE

**Episode 8: The Hunter or The Hunted Finale**

 **Special Thanks to my Betas:**

 **Sabrina06  
PaintedPetrichor**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Update (1/23/2016): Made a few slight line changes in the penultimate scene. This was done to prevent a few consistency issues in future chapters.**

* * *

Marco ducked down as the homunculus swung its fist towards himself. As he ran, Marco scavenged for a grenade. He pulled it out and shook it before lobbing it behind him. The blast knocked the two in opposite directions. Marco skidded across and scraped his face against the black pavement. Hurt, he rubbed his battered face as he pushed himself up off the ground, only to see a homunculus rush towards him. Marco squirmed back as it approached.

Marco shut his eyes and shielded himself with the brunt of his arm as the homunculus pounced on him. Something pulled him up in the air, opening his eyes to find Jackie letting go of his wrist. He found himself sitting on the backside of Manny the manticore.

"Wow, that was… wow," Marco choked out. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Jackie kept one hand curled into Manny's mane and the other hand holding a rifle. She peered over her shoulder, only to see the homunculus turn back and chase the two. "How many 'nades do you have left?"

Marco fumbled around his pockets, while the shaking ground muddled his thought into a flurry, making it difficult to concentrate. "Like, two."

"Good enough for me."

Marco turned back and noticed the homunculus inhaling deeply. "Jackie, move out the way, it's charging something up!"

Jackie kicked Manny in the side. "Up, boy!"

Manny extended his wings, hopping up in the air as the homunculus breathed out fire onto the pavement. It glided to the ground as it kept rushing down the lot.

"You and Star dealt with one of these before, right?"

Marco nodded.

"How'd you do it?"

Marco noticed something peculiar on the homunculus's forehead. He remembered Star firing straight towards something similar the last time they fought one. "See the yellow orb thing on its forehead?"

Jackie tugged on the mane, turning Manny around. "That's our target then."

A stray assassin popped up, rifle armed, only for Jackie to fire straight to its chest. Jackie and Manny faced the homunculus head on and rushed straight to it. It sprinted towards them as well.

"One well-placed explosive should do it." Marco readied his grenade as he stared at the hulking monstrosity. He gave it a good shake as Manny and the homunculus intersected. Marco lobbed it upwards. With the side of his foot, Marco prodded the manticore to go faster as a purple blast hurled debris in their direction.

"I think you got it, Marco," Jackie said, rubbing on the top of his head.

Marco grinned, feeling a bit of heat radiating from his cheeks. The homunculus hopped out of the smoke, cracking the ground open. "Not even close."

The crowd of Hexon customers stormed out of the mall, stopping in their tracks to see a massive beast composed of car wreckage clashed against two teenagers and a manticore.

"Holy—"

Several members of the crowd pulled out their phones for this occasion, holding it in front of the chaos.

"Wait, I think my car is in that thing."

"So's mine."

A stray car hood flew over the crowd's head.

"This is awesome!"

Jackie coaxed the manticore to take off. Manny leapt into the air, gliding back down as the ground wreathed in flames. She felt the heat of flames beneath her feet.

Manny landed on the ground with a thud and raced against the charging homunculus.

"You still have one 'nade left, right?" Jackie asked.

Marco nodded.

Jackie pulled the manticore around, facing it towards the bolting homunculus. "Let's do this again."

They charged head on. Jackie fired her rifle straight at its forehead. She botched the shots, hitting the side of the core instead.

Jackie swerved to the left and dodged the incoming flames.

"I'm gonna try something, here," Marco said, turning his attention to the side of the homunculus. He leapt off, clutching on the side of its arm. The dismembered car parts didn't make for good footholds as Marco struggled to climb to its head.

Jackie fired stray shots around the homunculus, keeping it distracted.

Marco latched onto a rear view mirror, only for it to snap off. The homunculus noticed Marco on its arm and tried to swat him off. He hopped over to the other arm and managed to stay standing. Marco dashed up to the head, fighting against the incline as the homunculus lowered its arm.

The leg of his jeans snagged on the edge of a sedan. He tugged on it, fighting against his shaking limbs as the homunculus charged up once again.

Finally, he sprung to its cheek, latching onto a car handle as a hand hold while it breathed out a flurry of flames. Marco leaned as much to the side as he could, still feeling the heat radiating from the side.

"You got this, Marco," he muttered to himself. Marco grabbed the grenade from his pocket and lobbed it at the yellowish core.

"Marco, get down!" Jackie said.

Marco took a deep breath, closed his eyes and dropped to the ground. He landed on something furry, yet sturdy. He opened his eyes to see the back of Jackie's head.

He looked over to the homunculus, curious about the lack of explosion. Marco slammed his forehead. "Oh no, I forgot to shake it."

The shadow of a car flew overhead. Jackie veered off to the side, dodging a trio of cars tossed towards them.

Jackie looked behind her shoulder, noticing the unarmed grenade lodged beside the core.

"Of course I'd mess up."

Jackie powered her rifle and said, "No you didn't."

Jackie fired the rifle and struck the grenade. A purple, fiery blast and then a shockwave lifted them off the ground, sending Marco, Jackie and Manny tumbling on their sides. Car wreckage and debris flew everywhere, hitting parked cars, barely missing bystanders and battering the mall.

"There we go," Jackie said, struggling to stand back up. "You're pretty good."

The crowd cheered the two battered and bruised teenagers for vanquishing the homunculus.

Several teenagers grouped up in front of the manticore for a selfie. Manny fired venomous needles from his tail, hitting one of them on the side of the neck.

A few people from the crowd helped Marco and Jackie up. Behind him, Janna pulled Marco up with relative ease.

"Most of the spirit club has been dealt with, you and Jackie dealt with the car monster, and it seems that purple haired weirdo is gone," Janna said, listing everything off. "I think we won."

The sound of a massive blast caught everyone's attention. Portions of the ceiling collapsed onto the ground.

"Not yet," Marco said. He coaxed the manticore up and hopped on his back. "Percy's in there, somewhere."

* * *

Star opened her eyes, popping her protective bubble. She backed away as the entire ceiling cracked and collapsed. Star winced in pain as a sharp sensation rushed through her spine. She steadied her breathing as she tried to find Percy in the midst of the destruction.

The explosion reduced the stone statue in the middle of the room into an unrecognizable pile of rubble. Patio tables and chairs lay in the ruins, damaged and strewn about. A fissure on the ground separated the room in two. Bits of rubble and crushed rock rained down from the torn ceiling.

Percy emerged from the rubble, bruised and battered, bleeding from the arm. He forced out a laugh, as he coughed debris out of his mouth.

"Good call on my bluff," Percy commended Star, still wheezing his lungs out. "There ain't enough power for all the clones to shoot out so many death rays." Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Mind if we take a five minute bre—"

"Raspberry Homing Bombs!" Star's wand glowed magenta. A volley of giant raspberries fired towards Percy's general direction.

Percy shifted to the side, only for them to follow him. One exploded in front of him, sending him flying backwards.

More came his way. Percy held his arm up. He shoved them all away, letting them explode off in the distance.

"Feelin' tired, Star?" Percy asked, disingenuously. "I know I am."

"Then stay down!" Star materialized a giant skull.

" _Bessie, set up for evasive manoeuvers."_ Percy phased out of existence as the skull's beam struck the wall, smashing it.

Two Percys reappeared, side-by-side.

Star held out her wand. Another skull emerged. The two skulls fired their blue lasers.

Pieces of the floor launched into the air, as the Percys raced against the beams.

Star extended the handle of her wand down to the floor. She powered the wand, five skulls phased into existence and fired together.

Star missed.

And six.

Still missed.

And seven.

Percy gasped for breath.

And Ten.

But Percy kept dodging.

"Enough!" Star lifted the 'wand' and struck the ground with the bottom, summoning enough giant skulls to fill the room to the ceiling. All of them pointed to the centre of the atrium.

"I'm going to die here," Percy said, chuckling to himself.

Star covered her eyes with the side of her arm. Each skull fired in-sync. The clone disintegrated. The ground shattered, pieces of the ruined floor disintegrated. The entire floor hollowed into one deep pit as the laser fire penetrated against the ground. Star closed her eyes—homing in on every bit of magic imbued in her body—and channeled it through the skulls. The beams intensified as a roar filled the arena.

Star's wand dropped to the ground, the handle retracted. Star fell to her knees as her arms quivered. She looked down, deep into the massive crater in the center of the atrium.

Nothing remained. Except for some smoke rising up from the crater.

A runic symbol formed in the middle of the room. Percy rematerialized in the crater, gasping for air. "Oh jeez, I thought I was a goner there," he muttered to himself. He struggled to stand back up as his legs trembled. Activating his rocket shoes, he floated out the crater, dropping his tattered cloak.

Star grasped her wand. "Why, won't, you, just, go, AWAY!?" Star fired a blue laser straight at Percy.

 _"Divert everything to the arm cannon."_ Percy matched the blue beam with his own reddish laser, clashing them against each other.

Both of them kept still. Through sheer willpower, Star's laser began to push Percy's back.

Percy summoned one clone, letting it rush towards Star. Percy's hand glowed, using every bit of magic to barely stabilize his own laser. _"Three seconds. Please let me last three seconds."_

 _One._

Percy felt the heat from Star's beam as his own magic held him in place.

 _Two._

Star remembered her friends. This was her fight. Yet, they still fought for her safety, risking their own lives for hers, despite them having nothing to do with her problems.

Especially Marco.

Star gritted her teeth and grasped both hands on the handle. Her beam pushed onwards.

 _Three._

Percy's clone dashed in front of her.

Star flinched, slipping her beam off to the wall on the side. A red laser struck her in the abdomen. She dropped to the ground. Smoke rose from her stomach

Percy's clone waved goodbye as it vanished into static.

* * *

Tears ran down Star's eyes as she clutched the awful burn on her stomach with her free hand. She kept the wand aimed at Percy as he descended to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Star. I know that was a devious trick, even for me," Percy said, as Bessie hopped out from his shoulder. "But you're too powerful to be beaten fairly. And I still have a job to do."

"You're not getting your hands on it!" As she backed away, Star swished her wand, firing pathetic spurts of magic.

Percy marched on, unfazed. "Told ya. Should've taken a five minute break first."

Star knew she couldn't skid back forever. Nothing she did affected him. No matter how hard she focused, the sharp pain in her abdomen made it impossible to concentrate on any spell. As Percy trudged closer, Star remembered one spell that can work without fail.

She knew what to do.

Star pulled the wand to her face and closed her eyes.

 _"I'm sorry—"_

The taste of metal grazed against Star's tongue, as Bessie wound itself around her.

"I believe Ludo wanted the wand in one piece, so I'd rather not have you mess with it, okay?"

Star's pupils dilated as the wand rolled away from her hand. Bessie tightened its grip around Star as both struggled against each other. Star began to gasp for air.

Percy set his foot on the handle of the wand. "Finally! Time to get paid."

He bent down and grabbed the wand.

"Noooooooooooooooooo!" Star shouted, muffled by the mechanical arm.

Percy squeezed the handle on the wand. "Feels kinda weird, dontcha think—"

The evening sky above, seen through the open ceiling of the atrium, morphed into a nightmarish shade of reddish-orange. The clear skies gave way to thick, blackened clouds. Every bit of chunked foundation and strewn object levitated from the ground.

"Oh, no."

Percy grasped the wand with two hands. The Star insignia glowed and cracked open, as the entire wand shook with increasing ferocity. The inside of the forming crevices glowed in a darkened hue. A reddish pulse blew through the atrium as the exterior of the wand shattered. The crest of the wand was replaced with a black sphere. It opened up, revealing a red pupil.

It stared at Percy.

Percy's veins glowed black. His arms dropped to the ground as though they were being pulled down.

"What's going on?" Percy screamed as he groaned in pain. " _Who_ is this?! Show yourself!"

Bessie released Star from its grasp and scuttled its way towards Percy. The arm tried to tear the wand away from Percy's grip.

Star raised an arm out to Percy. "Percy, let go of the wand!"

"I… can't. _He_ won't let me. _He's_ telling me not to." Percy convulsed as he swatted Bessie away. "I don't want this. I DON'T WANT THIS!"

Star's eyes watered. Tears floated upwards. "Percy—"

"Shut up! Shut up! _EVERYBODY_ SHUT UP!" Percy fired a black thunderbolt into the sky. His hand trembled as he shuffled around his pocket for the whistle.

A laser beam knocked Percy down, releasing his grip on the wand. The wand fell into the crater.

"Star, we're here!" Marco said, hopping off Manny and rushing to the wounded princess.

"Woah"—Jackie stared at the blackened sky above. "What happ—"

"Guys, get the wand"—Star pulled herself up. She attempted to sprint for it, only to tumble due to the pain in her searing abdomen—"hurry!" Marco ran after the wand, while Jackie tended to Star's wounds.

Bessie reattached himself back on Percy's shoulder as he took a deep breath. Percy pulled out the whistle and blew it as hard as he could.

A massive rift opened up, extracting everything in the vicinity. The wand drifted up in the air.

Marco and Percy jumped for it. Both of them had a hold on it. Both of them struggled to pull it away from the other. The two drifted towards the portal up in the sky.

"What did you to Star?" Marco interrogated. He stared at the dark, disheveled version of Star's bright, cheery wand as he tried to rip it away from Percy. Marco slammed his fist onto Percy's face, whittling him down.

"What I needed to do." Percy armed Bessie up, prepping another death ray. "It's business." _Death Ray still inoperable._ "Oh, come on!"

With both hands on the handle, Marco bucked Percy away, ripping the wand away from his hand. Marco found the wand in his right hand.

Marco looked at his hand and watched the cracked crest open, the crevices glowing with a white, radiant hue.

The glow darkened into something sinister.

A pulse fired from the wand, as the crest morphed into a massive eyeball with tentacles flailing about.

Marco felt his the whites around his eyes blacken. Something underneath his arm emitted an orange light.

 _Is it you?_

 _Yes._

The assassins entered the atrium and opened fire against Star and Jackie. Jackie shot back.

 _Finally, it's been so long._

"Marco, toss it over!" Star shouted, ducking under the laser fire.

 _It has. This wasn't the vessel I had in mind._

 _No matter. It'll have to do._

"What are you guys, talking about?" Marco muttered to himself, clutching his ears.

 _Oh, can he hear us?_

 _Of course._

 _Well, will that be of any hinder—_

Summoning every bit of mental endurance, Marco closed his eyes and threw the wand towards Star. The shade of black on his irises vanished.

Star caught the wand, letting the crest morph back to the original star insignia. The sky cleared up as the cloud dissipated. However, the rift was still absorbing everything below.

"Ethereal Lasso," Star said as she coughed her throat out. A rope pulled Marco back to the ground, letting him collapse into a heap. Star aimed her wand back at the rising Percy.

Star fired a pink sphere of energy out of her wand. It knocked Percy further upwards as he screamed into the portal.

Percy vanished off the face of the Earth.

The rift sealed itself up and everything rained back down to the ground.

* * *

The blue glow from the assassins' eyes disappeared. They took their masks off, gasping for air.

"We did it," Jackie said.

Star watched as everything rained down into the crater. Wand back in hand, Star clutched the handle as tight as she could. She looked to the side and saw Marco fail to sit up straight. Star noticed his tattered sweater and his pale skin. She couldn't ignore the cuts and bruises either.

Marco looked up from the ground and faced Star. Despite a bit of blurriness, he could still see the singed laser mark on Star's abdomen.

They stood beside each other, turning towards the crater in the middle of the atrium. They looked up, finding tables, chairs, benches, all strewn about, broken; most of it disintegrated. The walls around the atrium were cracked, a few fell the instant they looked. Both of them stared up to the ruined ceiling, staring at the calming sky.

They turned to face each other again.

At that moment, they understood without thinking.

They closed their eyes and wrapped their arms around each other.

Star didn't hesitate to sob into Marco's shoulder.

"Marco, I'm… I'm sorry! I messed up," Star whimpered as she gripped her wand tight. "I was supposed to be the one protecting you, not the other way around. This was supposed to be my problem, not yours. It's my fight, Marco."

Marco pulled back, staring into Star's eyes. "Star," Marco said, "I don't care if I put my life at risk."

Marco pulled her towards him, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Why?"

"You're my best friend, Star." A tear drop or two stained the back of Star's dress. "Of course I would."

"Marco…" Star turned her head to the side and noticed a mark underneath Marco's arm. "Marco, look."

"Wha?" Marco looked under his arm and saw a strange marking on it. Six horizontal strokes, three in a column. He stared back at Star, noticing the wrinkling brow and her lips shaped as a frown. "It's… fine, Star. I'll get it checked, later."

Marco pushed himself up, holding a hand out towards Star. She grabbed a hold of it and he pulled her up.

"So what now."

Marco noticed Jackie and the others waiting behind him.

"Let's go home."

The group started walking down to the exit, until the sound of a shrill Asian man stopped them in their tracks.

"Wait right there!" Mr. Wong said. "You think you can demolish my property and get away with it?"

"Yeah, Butterfly!" Brittney sneered. "Now you're in for it."

All the customers came into the mall with flared nostrils and protruding eyes. Everyone looked over the crater.

"I… I didn't mean to destroy everything," Star said. "I just wanted to defend myself."

"Yeah, I mean, didn't any of you guys see us getting attacked by assassins and giant car monsters?" Marco asked.

"Oh yeah, and wasn't there some freaky purple haired dude with the metal arm coming out of his shoulder?" One of the customers asked.

Star and her friends nodded.

"Still, did you have to cause so much property damage in the process?" Brittney asked.

"Well, if you didn't rope the entire spirit team into killing Star, we wouldn't have this problem, would we?" Sabrina said, staring straight towards Brittney.

"I had nothing to do with any of this!"

"Then what's with the rifle, Brittney?" Sabrina asked.

Brittney looked down at her hands, tossing the rifle away.

"Yeah, none of this would've happened if you didn't get so fussy over a friggin' credit card," Chantelle said. "You probably got another one from your _multi-millionaire_ dad the next day."

Brittney gritted her teeth. "Chantelle, if you want the co-captain, you'd keep your mouth shut right about now."

"Screw that!" Chantelle ripped the red suit off her body. "It's not worth dealing with techno body voodoo anyways."

"Yeah, I quit!" Another cheerleader screamed.

"Me too!"

"Yeah, out of body experiences are soooo lame!"

"Guys…" Brittney went down on her knees, pleading to her _friends._ She stared face-to-face with her dad. "Please, Daddy, please don't reduce my allowance.

"You endangered the lives of my loyal customers, all for your petty revenge against your servant?" Mr. Wong sneered at her. "You'd be lucky if you ever got another allowance for the rest of your life. Upstairs, top floor, my office, now."

Brittney lowered her head, walking through the crater towards a flight of stairs. Brittney noticed the entire flight of stairs was smashed to pieces, so she kept walking further along.

"So in order to repent for my daughter's mistakes, everyone here gets fifty percent off any item that hasn't been destroyed," Mr. Wong said, wiping the sweat off his brow.

The entire crowd cheered.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for, let's go shopping!"

The crowd rushed to any remaining store in the area.

"Watch your step everybody. Also, anybody's car that's been ruined gets an additional twenty-five percent off."

Star and her friends stayed in place, staring at the immense destruction, as the crowd nearly trampled each other to reach the next hallway of shops.

"Wow," Ferguson said.

"Yeah, this must have been nuts," Alfonso said. "Wish I was there to see."

"Nah," Star said, turning her hand down. "It was nothing, really."

"You did a number to this place, Star," Janna said. "I'm impressed."

Star grinned.

"Actually, I wanna see if the skate shop is still in one piece." Jackie prodded Manny to move forward.

"Yeah, fifty percent off sounds awesome," Star said, rushing ahead. A sharp pain penetrated her stomach. She placed a hand over it and noticed a bit of blood rushing out. "On second thought, let's go to the hospital first."

"I'll take you there, Star," Marco said, noticeably sweating and holding something in. "Just, give me a second."

Marco rushed through the ruined atrium, trying to find a garbage can or hole away from the rest of the group. A smaller crater tucked near vaporized plants made for a suitable space for Marco to puke his guts out. He vomited into the hole. Marco felt a burning sensation in the back of his throat. The cold sweats didn't make the situation better.

The mark underneath his arm glowed orange.

Something echoed in Marco's head.

"Hiya, Marco. How ya feeling? Looks like you're a little sick. I didn't know you were so anxious to see me again".

Marco ignored it and continued to vomit.

"What? You don't remember who I am? It's me, your worst nightmare. Let me remind you."

Visions of darkness and the ocean clouded Marco's sight, until all he could see were tentacles. Many tentacles.

A _Monster Arm._

"What, you think changing your arm back was enough to get rid of me. No, Marco, once I come in, I never leave."

Marco held his breath, only for more vomit to spew out.

"Perhaps you might call it, me overstaying my welcome, but I never really considered myself a stand-up guest anyways."

The burning sensation rose to his face.

"Well, a little courtesy never hurt anybody."

Marco collapsed onto the ground as the mark glowed even brighter.

"So why don't you do me a favour and be a good _host?_ "

* * *

Percy prodded Bessie's core open. Inside, the corthite embedded in the core blackened, looking similar to a piece of coal.

"Ah shoot," Percy muttered, "I must've overworked you, didn't I?"

The rain poured down hard. Drained, Percy sat underneath a leafless tree, clutching his shoulders. He stared up to the sky, finding only cloudy skies and darkness.

"Bessie, do you mind if you cover me?"

The mechanical arm extended over Percy's head, using the back of its hand to cover him like an umbrella.

"Thank you." Percy lowered his head to his knees, covering his eyes. "Bessie, any idea where we are?"

"Data insufficient."

"Figures." Percy stared down the horizon. The fog and night sky made it impossible to see. "Wherever we are, looks like this'll be our new home."

Percy lowered his head again. The sound of a box dropping on the ground caught Percy's attention. He looked up to see a formally-dressed lizard open an umbrella and setting it down for him.

"Hello," The lizard said.

"Howdy." Percy stared at the lizard, as it took off its coat and set it on his shoulder. "You don't need to—"

"Don't worry, I want to."

Percy pressed two fingers under his chin. "Toffee, right? Ludo's buddy?"

"Yes and… no. Buddy is stretching it. More of an associate, or someone I have to tolerate on a daily basis, more accurately."

"I see." Percy said. "Name's—"

"I know who you are, Percival."

Percy scratched the back of his head. "Oh, that's right, I already told you, haven't I? When we met at my apartment, back on Earth."

"Even then"—Toffee dropped a sheet of paper on top of the box—"You're rather popular in a few intergalactic circles."

Percy pulled the page closer, staring at a depiction of his own face. A number with a lot of zeroes attached was printed underneath. _Wanted,_ _dead or alive._

"Revenok's doubled the bounty from last time," Toffee said.

"So he has. Old man's getting really desperate, huh?"

"Perhaps. I have no quarrels with him, so I can't tell you."

For a moment, neither of them spoke, willing to the let the rain pour down.

"How did you find me here?" Percy asked.

"I brought you here," Toffee said. "Besides, an Encor really stands out in Mewni. Feel free to correct me, but Encorians don't visit Mewni very often."

"I guess not."

Toffee scuffed the side of his suit and kicked the box over to Percy. "Open it."

Percy untied the red ribbon wrapped around the box, pulling the cover away. A blue light glowed straight towards his face.

"More corthite?"

Toffee nodded. "Look under the cover."

Percy picked up the cover and found a pair of diamond encrusted scissors underneath. He held a hand over his mouth.

"Is this—"

"Yes, it's dimensional scissors. And yes, they're untraceable."

Percy looked up to the lizard "Why?"

"I asked you to do something, and I promised there was more corthite to come. I always honour my promises."

Percy looked down to the muddy ground. "But, I didn't get the wand. That's what Ludo wanted, right?"

"It was what _he_ wanted," Toffee sneered. "But that wasn't what _I_ was looking for. Besides, an idiot like him would end up blowing up the universe with that wand."

Percy focused on the sound of the rain as the echoes from the millions of dark thoughts whispered in his ear. "That wand was really messed up, ya know? I don't know how she manages to control the _things._ Or block out the whispers. Or…"

"Don't worry, you weren't the first person consumed by the wand's dark magic."

"And probably not the last," Percy said.

As rained poured from the sky, Toffee wiped the side of his hair, revealing the chopped off finger on his right hand.

"What are we gonna do about the wand?" Percy asked. "Do you want me to try again?"

"No, just leave it," Toffee replied. "Let Ludo and his 'army' flail around for it _._ We have more _important_ things to worry about."

"We? Important? Why are you here?" Percy asked. Why are you being so, nice to me?"

"Because, I need a friend, Percy."

Percy narrowed his eyes towards Toffee as his mind raced.

"Confused?" Toffee asked. "Well, Mewni is a paradise of corthite. I assume you know how valuable the mineral is."

"Better electrical conductor than silver, multi-purpose like silicon and an excellent source of power. The lifeblood of Encorians."

"Exactly," Toffee said. "People of Mewni have no idea what to do with it, so I figure, why not take it for myself? But, I need a friend to help me. That's where you come in. You know what to do with it. You know how to make it work."

Percy considered his options.

"And I could always use a little company. It's been a while since I've found someone as interesting as you."

With the dimensional scissors, Percy can go to any planet in any galaxy in the observable universe. He can go back to Earth, but the only thing waiting for him would be a vengeful Star and Marco. Percy could only imagine what could happen the moment he stepped back home. Percy was running out of places to hide. He tilted his head up, staring at Toffee.

"So, what do you say, Percy?" He held out an open hand towards him. "Do you want to be my friend?"

Percy shuffled up and shook Toffee's hand. "Okay."

"Wonderful." A tiny smirk formed on Toffee's face. _Here we go again,_ Toffee thought. "I'll let you take the lead, Percy, you have a new pair of dimensional scissors on hand. Where do you want to go?"

"Know anywhere in the universe that serves good coffee?" Percy asked. "Earth is out of the question for now."

* * *

 **Wow. I finished it. It took a while, but I finished.**

 **You guys have no idea how long I've wanted to do this episode. There are so many things I was so excited to write about when I thought about this episode: Star Vs. Percy, Marco and Jackie being relatively awesome and the Toffee-Percy encounter. And, I finally did it.**

 **While this episode resolves quite a few things, it opens up new possibilities for the story to go through. And that's really exciting to me.**

 **Bad news is, this month, there are a lot of tests and reports that need to be finished for university. Perhaps, I might not be able to finish another episode for a while, but don't worry. I'll keep finding time to write. And when it's done, I'll be happy to show it.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	24. Marco's Sweet 15th Part 1

**University popped up hard, so I didn't have time to make this chapter until now. Sorry about that.**

 **Episode 9: Marco's Sweet 15th Part 1**

 **Synopsis: Star tries to throw the best birthday party for Marco, but he's feeling a bit under the weather. Will Star actually notice before its too late?**

 **Special Thanks to my Betas:**

 **Sabrina06  
PaintedPetrichor**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco drifted along, moving aimlessly through the void. Nothing in front, nothing below, nothing anywhere. Marco flailed his arms in the air, trying to see if he could feel anything hidden.

Nothing.

Something thick hung in the air, preventing Marco from screaming his lungs out. The only thing beyond was nothing. Nothing but darkness.

A faint sound of water drops echoed.

 _"You're still here?"_

Marco couldn't tell where it came from.

From afar?

Right beside his ear?

Inside his own head?

 _"For someone so pathetic, I wouldn't expect this much resilience."_

Marco plunged downwards until he struck something firm. He could perceive something below him, but the darkness concealed it. Something slimy squirmed underneath the palm of his hand, as Marco pounced back. Marco saw something against the darkness. Tentacle-like appendages sprouted up from the ground.

 _"It doesn't really matter, honestly. Like it or not, this is all mine now. You had your chance; we could have shared something special together."_

Marco backed away, watching the purple, spotted tentacles wiggle their way towards him. He struggled to stand on his two feet. Six orange eyes illuminated in front of Marco and the air materialized a gaping maw, baring its sharpened teeth towards the shaking boy. More tentacles sprouted out from behind, wiggling feverously.

"Now it's time for me to redecorate this place, _inside_ and _out._ "

On first instinct, Marco hobbled up and sprinted the other way. He gasped for breath after every step as thick air filled his lungs. More tentacles burst from the ground.

"Keep running, boy, I like a good struggle."

More tentacles slithered in Marco's way, barely giving him any room to maneuver through the encroaching darkness.

"Get out of my head!" Marco screeched.

A hearty chuckle filled the area. "Do you have any idea how long I've been trapped down in the ocean? Now that you let me back in, I'm not squandering this opportunity—"

As Marco took one more step forwards, another tentacle spawned underneath, wrapping around his leg. Marco tumbled down on his stomach. He tried to drag himself forward, as another tentacle wrapped around his other leg, pulling him back. The orange lights rematerialized in front.

"—don't worry Marco, first thing I'll do is thank her _._ Thank her for giving me the means to reach something beyond the ocean."

Marco clawed towards the light as another tentacle wrapped around his torso.

"Then, I don't know, _human annihilation_ sounds like a good way to pass the time. What do you think, Marco?"

* * *

"NO!"

Marco sat up on his bed, surprised to hear the beeps of a heart monitor behind him. He stared at his arms, looking down the length of his arm to find his right arm attached to an IV drip.

Marco looked up to find a TV hanging from the ceiling. A news report about the mass destruction of property at Hexon mall played on the screen. Images of the mall ruins popped up on screen. On the bottom right corner, _Wednesday_ along with the time, 6:08 pm was shown.

"What the…" Marco looked beneath his blanket and found himself wearing a hospital gown in place of his usual red hoodie. To his right, he saw a short, stout brunette checking things off a clipboard. "Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital, dear," Marco's mother said as she made her way to his bed. "Star and your other friends found you passed out in your own vomit, so they got you and herself to the hospital."

The nurse to his right chuckled. "Yeah, you two were pretty messed up when you got here."

Marco pinched the collar of the gown, taking a look at the colour of it, almost similar to snow. A slight chill ran down his spine.

"Still, surprised you two came out as good as you did. It's pretty rare for someone your age to come away with extreme dehydration or massive blood loss unscathed.

Marco realized his throat still felt quite dry, but he didn't remember losing much blood at the mall. "Wait, Star…" Marco grabbed a hold of his mother's shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "STAR, where's Star?"

A man in a white coat cleared his throat and said, "She's right here." He pulled the curtain to the side, revealing a slightly pale, yet chipper Star waving, while her other hand pulled out a lollipop she'd been sucking on.

"Hiya, Marco!" Star greeted as she shoved the lollipop back in.

"Star!" Marco shot up from the bed.

The nurse gently eased the boy back to the bed. "Careful, we don't want to mess up the IVs, do we?"

Marco sighed. "Can I at least talk to her?"

The nurse looked over to Star, who gave a thumbs up. The nurse held out a hand to the boy. "Of course, right this way."

Marco grabbed the nurse's hand and staggered out of the bed. His steps were unsteady. Each time he moved his foot forward, it shook, forcing Marco to lean on the nurse for support. The nurse pulled up a chair for Marco to sit. Marco rested his back on the wooden support, taking a look at his best friend.

Star sat up, sliding her ruffled, disheveled hair off to the side. "Hey, Marco. How're you holding up?"

"What? Never mind about me," Marco said. "You're the one that got hit by the laser; how're you holding up?"

"Not too badly, Marco." Star looked down and noticed a bit of blood splattered on the centre of her gown. "Doctor said I'm totally fine."

"Really?"

"Yup," The man in the white coat said, "I'm surprised she's actually sitting up. A burn that bad would've kept a man down for at least a year. A couple of stitches, and she's good as new."

"Plus he gave me this free lollipop after he stitched me up." Star chomped on the candy, yanking it out the stick and swallowing it whole. "Can I have another one?"

"Sure." The doctor shuffled his hand inside his pocket, tossing a rainbow-coloured sucker to the girl. Star held her wand up and levitated the candy to her free hand. She activated the wand once more to pull the wrapper off.

"Thank you!" Star jammed the lollipop in her mouth. "Now, Marco, how are you feeling? You didn't look too swell back there."

Marco hesitated for a moment.

"You disappeared for a while. Jackie found you out cold next to a ficus. She nearly slipped on your puke when she rushed over to you."

Marco seethed and gritted his teeth, rubbing the back of his head as he stared down at the linoleum flooring.

"It kinda reminded me of that party Ponyhead threw for my 13th birthday," Star said. "If I learned one thing that day, is to never put too much pixie dust into the punch bowl." Star shivered instinctively, still feeling the pile of orc vomit brushing against her skin. "So, tell me, how are you feeling?"

 _Best if she knew,_ Marco considered. "Well Star, I think Mon—"

 _No! Keep quiet, boy!_

The sensation of a fire iron prodding Marco's eyeballs from the inside exuded from his head. Marco fumbled on the chair, slipping onto the ground. He yanked the IV stand down with him.

The nurse and the doctor grabbed a hold of Marco and lifted him back up.

Star stared at Marco, a concerned frown running along the bottom of her face. "Okay, what's wrong Marco? Tell me—"

"It's… its fine, Star," Marco muttered. Marco's forehead still pounded.

"Really?" Star asked. She darted her gaze under Marco's arm. The mark was still there. "Marco, can I see something?"

"Sure. What"—As Star pulled on his marked arm, the feeling of rushing flames coursed up through his veins—"STAR!" Marco tore his arm away from her grasp. "Its fine, I'm fine, I swear. Trust me."

Star raised an eyebrow. "If you say so…"

A massive crack from the door frame cut through the air, drawing Marco and Star's attention.

"Dios mio!" Mr. Diaz shrieked. "I came here as soon as I could." Mr. Diaz yanked the doctor towards him. "Doctor, how are my two cinnamon rolls?"

The Doctor chuckled "They're very stable, at the moment."

"Hey, Mr. Diaz!" Star beamed.

"Hey, dad." Marco limped his arm upwards.

"Star has a few stitches, but she's just as fine as she was before. Marco, um…"

The doctor stared away from Marco's paler skin. He leaned in close to Mr. Diaz. "I'm not sure. I don't know what happened to him. His friends found him unconscious, submerged in a pool of vomit."

"Marco…" Mr. Diaz muttered under his breath. He clenched his teeth. Mr. Diaz felt his heart skip a beat or two as the doctor pulled out a clipboard.

"I've spent ten years treating kids like him, and I've never seen anything like this. I mean, his body was so dehydrated, it looked like he just came back from the damn Sahara or something. Hopefully, after another hour of IV treatment, he'll be fine." Marco hobbled over. Star had to press on his forehead to keep him steady.

"I hope."

"I'm just glad they're safe, now." Mr. Diaz rushed over to Marco. "Come here!" Mr. Diaz wrapped his thick arms around Marco's chest, ignoring Marco's heaving and stuttered breaths as he squished harder. Mrs. Diaz joined in as soon as she could.

Not wanting to feel left out, Star joined in and pounced on the huddled group.

Marco's face paled considerably.

"Careful, careful," the nurse said, shooing them away. "You guys are gonna pop the IV needle out of his arm."

Everyone pulled their arms away and released their grasp, letting the boy breathe.

"Thank goodness," Mr. Diaz said, "you two had us worried sick."

"Yeah, you scared me when I couldn't find either of you. With all the vandalizing, assassin business, I don't know what I would've done if either of you didn't come home."

Star stared down, while scratching the back of her head. "Sorry, Mrs. Diaz. Something came up, so Marco and I had to rush." She looked out the window and noticed a faint tear still present in the sky. "And, I don't think anybody's gonna bother us for a long while."

"What makes you say that?"

Star watched the last bit of the tear close itself up. "Call it an educated guess."

Mrs. Diaz raised an eyebrow. "If you say so…"

"Marco, my son," Mr. Diaz whimpered as he knelt down to Marco, "what happened to you and Star? The doctor told me some worrying things."

Marco hesitated for a moment. He sensed something poking out of his eye. The burning sensation re-emerged.

"Don't worry about what the doctor said, I'm totally fine." The poking subsided a bit. "Star and I got caught up with Ludo's army, and things got a little more violent than usual, that's all." Marco forced a toothy grin.

"Hmm… is that so?" Mr. Diaz rested a finger underneath his chin. "I've thought you two could always deal with Ludo. I mean, he practically comes every week, right?"

A searing stab cut through Marco's forehead, almost making him tumble to the ground. He kept himself as steady as possible. The pounding in his head kept worsening.

"He ambushed us with a bunch of new bad guys." Marco sighed in relief as the tension eased itself. Star kept staring at him. Marco paid no attention. "Yeah, yeah, there was this massive troll in a luchadores outfit and…"

Star narrowed her eyes towards Marco, her eyebrows knitting closer with each lie he spout. "Marco, what are you talking—"

Marco slapped a hand on Star's mouth, "We still beat them up pretty badly, with the help of some friends at school, and now we're at the hospital because Lucha-Troll slammed a chair on Star. Isn't that right?"

"Uh…"

From the bottom-up, Marco's body numbed. "Isn't. That. Right. Star."

"Uh, yeah, Lucha-Troll can really pack a punch. Won't happen again, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz." Star glared at Marco, silently demanding an answer.

Mr. Diaz hummed under his breath. _Marco never looked this pale in his life,_ Mr. Diaz thought. He looked outside the room and noticed nurses rushing various patients. He kept hearing something about a mall incident.

"Well, enough about all this, what's important is that you two are safe," Mrs. Diaz said. "Just in time for the birthday preparations, as well."

Star's wand instinctively lit up as she turned her attention towards Mrs. Diaz. "I'm sorry, who's birthday?" A grin began to form along Star's face.

"Oh, Marco's birthday is coming up this weekend," Mrs. Diaz explained.

Star inhaled deeply. "Oh, my, gosh, Marco, happy early birthday!" Bits of fireworks blasted out of her wand. "Why didn't you tell me your birthday was coming up?"

Marco shrugged and said, "I don't make a big deal out of my birthday. I appreciate the presents, but I have everything I need." Marco slouched in the chair. "It's just, another day for me."

"Another day?!" Star threw her arms out wide. "Marco, I don't know how things work on Earth, but birthdays are a huge deal in Mewni. Partying from day 'til night, tables of food stretching to the edge of town, the mountains of presents, the mini-globnachs…"

"I don't know, Star," Marco muttered under his breath.

Star pulled Marco close. "Come on, Marco. You deserve this. A massive party is what we need after _that._ Besides, we can invite everyone from school and it'll be a lot of fun." Star released him and she redirected her attention to Marco's parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, what do you two have planned for Marco's birthday?"

"We just planned to have a small gathering with some family."

"That probably means they invited everyone from my extended family," Marco piped up.

Mrs. Diaz shrugged. "Well—"

"Still not enough, birthdays are supposed to be a massive celebration," Star interrupted. "We should…"

Marco tuned out of the conversation, content to simply relax as Star and his parents planned out his birthday. The random spouts of pain abruptly stopped as well as Marco breathed out a deep sigh.

A purple tentacle waved from the corner of his eye.

* * *

"Keep squirming as much as you'd like Marco, it won't change anything."

Despite his struggle, the tentacles wound around Marco as tight as they could. They pulled Marco further into the depths.

"What are you?" Marco asked as he gasped for air.

"Since the dawn of time, I went by many names, in many different languages. I believe Star called me, Monster Arm."

Marco looked at his own right arm. Images of a slimy, purple tentacle flashed in his mind.

"That spell Star cast to fix that broken arm of yours was written by bearer under my influence. After _they_ devised the seal eons ago, that spell was the only way to connect to the outside world."

Marco peered downwards; he couldn't see anything below.

"You wanna know something? I never left, you know? When Star turned your arm back to normal, I could feel myself slipping away from you. Ever felt something like that happen, Marco?"

Marco grasped the end of one tentacle and pushed it outwards. As his arm trembled, more tentacles sprouted out from nowhere, restraining him.

"It was like something pulling me away from you. I struggled, I reached out, but I was pulled further and further away. I don't know how, but for a brief moment, it stopped. So, I ran. I ran until I could find a place of solace: deep in the depths of your mind."

"I told you, get out of my head!" With a mighty struggle, Marco slipped away from its grasp. More tentacles sprouted. Marco dove down. "Get, out!"

"I can't. Even if I wanted to, there's no way for me to leave. I'm stuck here for as long as you live. That's fine. Even if I'm here, the rest of me still lives on. You know, if you hadn't grabbed that wand of Star's, there wouldn't be any source of power for me to latch on to. I would've stayed imprisoned in the depths of your psyche. But now, it's been a while since _we've_ had a vessel to command."

Marco landed on his stomach. His arms trembled as he pushed himself back up. He looked down, only to see himself standing on nothing.

"I think I've wasted too much time."

Many tentacles popped up in a circle around Marco. Marco dropped to his knees.

"Time to accelerate the process."

All the tentacles pounced towards Marco.

* * *

Marco's eyes popped open. He sat up straight, gasping for air. He held his arms up to his face, taking a look at the shade of purple covering his skin. Dark splotches of black were dotted beneath his skin. Marco blew at his oily hair that covered his eyes.

In that moment, Marco slipped away. Something else came in.

Star burst the door open. He hid his arms underneath the covers.

" _I'm just here, 'cuz I have to say,"_ Star chanted, " _happy birthday on your birthday day, happy birthday on your birthday day!"_

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz popped out from behind Star in a stream of confetti. Mr. Diaz blew a noisemaker.

"Happy birthday, Marco!" Marco's parents cheered. "We'll be outside, setting up for everyone if you need us."

"Star has something special for you," Mr. Diaz said, as he left with his wife.

Star rushed towards Marco with a tray of cupcakes frosted in a variety of colours. Bit of fireworks exploded on top of the frosting.

"Happy actual birthday, Marco!" Star said.

"Huh?" His lip dropped down as he stared at the tray of cupcakes. He picked on up and squinted at it, turning it on its side.

"Woah, Marco, what happened to your arms?" Star asked.

"It's… it's just a skin condition, it'll go away fairly soon."

Star tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"So, uh, what's the occasion?" He asked.

Star yelped, dropping the tray down as she covered her mouth with both hands. "Marco, don't tell me you've forgot your own birthday?"

"My birth… but today's only Thursday."

"Uh, no," Star said, "today is your birthday." Star conjured a calendar out of thin air, with the block containing today's date circled in red pen. "I spent half an hour circling so I wouldn't forget. Not that I would forget my own bestie's birthday."

"Oh, dear, how long was I out?" He whispered under his breath.

"Out? What are you talking about?"

His eyes opened wide as he stammered out. "Nothing, nothing." He bit into the cupcake as a concoction of blueberries and chocolate exploded inside his mouth. The fruity tang and velvety chocolate rested on his tongue. It's been a while since he'd savoured something sweet and satisfying.

Star nudged him on the shoulder. "Anyways, your mom and dad and I have some big plans for you this afternoon, but we need you out the house for a bit, so…" Star tossed his hoodie towards him, letting him catch. She pointed her wand at him and he floated up from his bed. Star waved her wand and he flew out the window, into a conveniently placed mattress on the lawn. Star materialized wads of cash next to Marco.

Ferguson and Alfonso arrived and helped him up.

"Hey Marco, happy birthday!" Ferguson and Alfonso greeted.

"Wait, what are you guys doing here?"

Star popped out of the window. "I need you three to keep yourselves occupied while we set everything up, okay?" More wads of cash appeared beside Marco. "Here's more cash, now go have some fun you three, bye!" Star stepped away from the window as she forgot to do something. She popped out the window one more time and said, "Oh yeah, and happy birthday again, Marco!"

Star shut the window closed and wobbled over to Marco's bed. She passed out on her back, breathing out a deep sigh.

"You got this, Star, time to set up the best party for your bestest bestie," Star coaxed herself.

Star looked around the room. On his desk, lay a half-closed laptop, beside a neatly organized stack of alternative rock cds. On the floor, various clothes and pages mixed together into one jumbled mess.

"Weird, I thought he was a lot more organized than this." Star tapped the crest of her wand underneath her chin. "Now, what does Marco want for his birthday?" She groaned as she couldn't think of anything meaningful. "If only I knew a spell so I can read Marco's mind." Star stared at her wand. "Oh wait, I do!"

Star rushed out to the window to see if Marco and the other boys were still around. "I just need to see if—"

Neither of them were there.

Star knocked her wand on the side of her head. "Ah, crud, he's gone." Star saw Mr. and Mrs. Diaz pull out a cart filled with decorations, firecrackers and a paper-mache horse. She shrugged and made her way outside.

* * *

Marco, Ferguson and Alfonso walked along the sidewalk

"So, as birthday boy –and because Star would probably kill us if we let you out of our sights—what would you like to do?" Ferguson asked.

"I don't know." Marco walked aimlessly beside Ferguson. "I… don't know."

Something wafted under Alfonso's nose, making him cringe a bit. Alfonso smelled a rotting scent, mixed with something thick and overpowering. Reflexively, Alfonso covered his nose, barely blocking the putrid stench.

"Perhaps—you can come over and—take a shower, if you want," Alfonso forced out, hacking his lungs out.

"No, no need." Marco noticed a flyer posted on a streetlight.

The flyer consisted of a super-imposed image of a school of sharks seemingly popping out from the page. In front of the sharks, a logo read 'Echo Creek Sea Adventure". Various blurbs and quotes surrounded the page.

 _"Over 100 different species of marine life."_

Marco raised an eyebrow and kept skimming through.

 _"See some of the rarest creatures, never before seen by others."_

A smile formed along Marco's lips.

 _"Meet some of the most ferocious undersea creatures."_

 _Most ferocious, eh? We'll see about that._ Marco turned around to see Ferguson and Alfonso waiting behind him. "Hey, do you guys wanna go to this sea park, place? Looks, pretty, interesting."

"Uh, yeah, sure Marco," Ferguson said, "I thought you said you hated those kinds of places. Something about inhumane cruelty to the whales or whatever?"

"I changed my mind about that."

Alfonso saw a hint of black shaded in Marco's irises.

"Let's go."

Marco went on as Ferguson hobbled to keep up with him.

"Hey, Marco, you feeling alright?" Alfonso asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," Marco replied. "I finally feel like _myself._ "

The underside of Marco's arm glowed through his sweater.

* * *

 **And then Marco and friends went to the sea park and Marco made friends with the Orcas. And when Marco came home, Star and everyone from Echo Creek sang him happy birthday, and then they ate cake.**

 **The End!**

 **I'm kidding. Things will get messier from here on out. Not, _The Hunter or The Hunted,_ messy, but still pretty messy. **

**Thanks for reading.**


	25. Marco's Sweet 15th Part 2

**Episode 9: Marco's Sweet 15th Part 2**

 **Synopsis: Star tries to throw the best birthday party for Marco, but he's feeling a bit under the weather. Will Star actually notice before its too late?**

 **Special Thanks to my Betas:**

 **Sabrina06  
PaintedPetrichor**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Two Days before Marco's Birthday**

"Star, since you're going to be helping us with the festivities, it's important that you know 'Las Mañanitas'," Mr. Diaz said.

Star tilted her head to the side, in curiosity. "Las Mana-wha?"

"Las Mañanitas!" Mrs. Diaz's face beamed in delight. "It's a traditional Mexican birthday song, sung right before the cake is eaten."

"It's also supposed to be sung as Marco wakes up," Mr. Diaz explained, "but Marco hates the sound of mariachi bands in the morning. So we just do during the face cake smashing."

"Face cake smashing?" Star asked. "Is this another one of your Earth traditions?"

"In our family—"

"And other Mexican families," Mrs. Diaz chimed in.

"—it is." Mr. Diaz nodded. "After a rousing chorus of 'Las Mañanitas', the birthday person's face is slammed into the cake."

Star blinked, her lips displaying no emotion. "That sounds hardcore."

Mrs. Diaz chortled and said, "Well, in any case, we don't have much time, so let's learn 'Las Mañanitas' together."

"Repeat after me," Mr. Diaz ordered, " _estas son las mañanitas que cantaba el rey David_."

Star cleared her throat. "Est-ass son las mananitas que cantaba el ray Day-vid."

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz looked at each other with a pained gaze.

Mr. Diaz took a deep breath. " _Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti._ "

"Ho per ser die de tu san-ta, te las coma-tose a ti." Star's smile radiated through the room.

Mrs. Diaz forced out a nervous smile. "You'll learn it."

"I hope so. Well, I'm sure Marco will enjoy the party we have in store," Star said.

* * *

 **Now**

Marco pressed his face against the aquarium glass, watching the schools of fish swim by. A parade of specimens of varying sizes and a diverse range of colours glided through the reefs and seaweed that filled the tank. Marco recognized two orange clownfish swimming side-by-side, while a blue surgeonfish lagged behind. Even further behind, a barracuda barrelled its way toward them, piquing Marco's interest.

Something nudged Marco's shoulder.

Marco turned to his right to see Ferguson.

"Hey, Marco, you've been staring at the fish for about fifteen minutes now," Ferguson said.

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Yes, and?"

"Don't you want to do something else?" Ferguson studied Marco's gaze, still fixed on the aquarium. "Isn't kinda, boring?"

"Nonsense, Fe—Fer…"

"Ferguson."

"Right yes, Ferguson," Marco quipped. "I've never seen such specimens before. I can't let this opportunity go to waste."

Ferguson and Alfonso, stared at each other as they gritted their teeth.

Marco kept his eyes glued to the barracuda, then stuck his tongue out.

"Hey, why would they put a barracuda in a tank with a bunch of small fish?" Ferguson asked. "This is practically an open buffet for it." Ferguson noticed parents walking beside with their children. One of the parents pointed towards something in the tank, leaving their daughter astonished. "And a PR nightmare waiting to happen."

"Who cares?" Marco's tongue moistened, leaving a trail of purple, viscous saliva flowing down the aquarium glass. "Sure looks tasty." Marco knocked on the aquarium. Marco held his fist out, ready to strike on the glass. "I'm hungry, do you guys want some barracuda?"

Alfonso and Ferguson pulled him away from the aquarium.

"No, Marco, we can't eat the barracudas." Ferguson grasp on Marco began to slip away.

"Why not?" A line of spittle escaped Marco's lips. "Why parade their pray in these containment chambers, when we can feast on their supple, extravagant meat?"

"Marco," Ferguson said, with a pinched expression, "this is a sea park. Not a restaurant! You're supposed to look at the fish, not eat them!"

Marco tilted his head over to the side. "That's stupid."

Ferguson sighed as he pulled Marco along. "Let's go, Marco." The boys made their way out of the tunnel.

Marco looked all around, to see even more undersea creatures wade in their aquariums. One aquarium hosted a school of Manta Rays. Marco watched them wade through the tank as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead and more drool poured down his chin.

Ferguson turned Marco's head to the front. "Seriously, Marco, what's with your obsession with eating all the fish? I thought you hate seafood."

"When have I ever said that?"

"I don't know," Ferguson said, "How about every time we go out to eat?"

Alfonso laid a finger underneath Marco's drooling mouth. After a bit of saliva dripped onto his finger, he examined it—swivelling his finger around to keep it from dropping to the ground—and reeled back, gritting his teeth as he pressed his thumb on the purple fluid.

"Uh, Marco," Alfonso piped up, "why is your spit all purple?"

Marco jerked back slightly, unwittingly uncovering his sleeve. "Oh, well, uh, skin condition, you know?"

Ferguson noticed something "Let me see something, Marco." Ferguson pulled Marco's arm close to him and rolled his sleeve all the way up. Bile rose from Ferguson's stomach. With his free hand, Ferguson covered his mouth before any vomit gushed forth. "Marco, what the heck happened? Why are your arms purple and blotchy?"

Alfonso sniffed the arm before covering his own mouth. "And rotten smelling?"

"It's… just a skin condition," Marco said, forcing a toothy smile.

Alfonso examined his teeth, finding them to be noticeably sharper.

A mother and her young daughter passed by. The daughter saw Marco's discoloured arm and shrieked in horror.

Alfonso and Ferguson turned to see the mother cover her daughter's eyes and sprinted away, screaming at the top of their lungs. Everyone else followed suit, running away as Ferguson struggled to re-cover Marco's horrific arm.

Marco made a calm smile. "Listening to the screams of terror in person is always a wonderful delight," Marco muttered to himself.

"What's that?" Ferguson asked.

"Oh, nothing." Marco forced another toothy grin.

The three made their way out of the tunnels of aquariums. Ferguson released Marco's arm, shuddering over its rough yet slimy texture.

"Seriously, Marco, get that arm checked out, I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be purple." Ferguson noticed some viscous, purple goop dripping from his hand. "Oh, gross, it's even coming out of your arm!" Ferguson walked off, away from Marco and Alfonso. "I'll be right back, I need to clean this off."

Marco and Alfonso made their way to a shark exhibit, watching several varieties of shark swim in a spacious tank. Alfonso turned his head toward his friend, staring at the disheveled, dirty mess of Marco.

Marco observed the pack, focusing on the largest one, constantly bumping into the other sharks.

"Alfonso, my _friend,_ do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Hm."

Marco pointed to the tank of sharks. "What are they doing in there? They should be in the ocean, scouring for unsuspecting prey. How did they end up trapped in glass containers?"

"Well, Marco, you watched Dark Ocean, right? You've seen the how they catch everything in the ocean and then ship them to the sea parks. It's kinda horrifying, the more you think about it—"

Marco's arm glowed underneath his sweater. He stood up and began walking off.

"Where you going?" Alfonso asked.

"Oh, I'm a going to the bathroom," Marco replied, "don't follow me."

Alfonso raised an arm as Marco disappeared

Ferguson made his way to Alfonso, drying his hand on his shirt.

"Ugh, I thought I'd never get that muck off my hand." Ferguson looked both sides, then towards Alfonso. "Hey, where'd Marco go?"

"I think he went—"

Shrill screams pierced their ears as Ferguson and Alfonso looked over to the shark tank. They watched Marco pull one of the sharks from the tank.

Taking one of the sharks, Marco ran off to find an exit while holding a shark overhead. Several park employees chased after him.

"My brethren!" Marco called. "I will free you!"

* * *

Star examined the cake herself. She made audible gasps as she carefully eyed the decadent frosting covering the top. She glided her finger over the surface of the cake, nipping on the thin layer of icing stuck on the tip. Her eyes shifted to the side as she swallowed the bit of frosting whole.

"Well, Star, what do you think?" Mrs. Diaz asked.

"It's okay, I guess…" Star pointed her wand towards the cake. "This is Marco's birthday, so we need something a bit"—The cake expanded into a multi-tiered goliath, squished by the ceiling—"bigger." Star reactivated the wand, shrinking it into something reasonable. "Like this."

Manny tiptoed his way to the cake, lifting a paw over it.

Star pushed Manny's paw down. "No, boy, not until Marco has some."

Manny emitted a low growl.

From the backyard, Mr. Diaz rushed in the kitchen and said, "Okay, all the food tables have been set-up and Mama Diaz is coming with the rest family. Star, how many more people are we going to be expecting?"

Star's eyes shot open. "Oh no, I forgot to invite everyone in town."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'everybody?'"

Star powered her wand "Mr. Diaz, I'm going to need you to set up more tables for food." Star aimed out the window and fired a pink beam straight to the sky.

* * *

Marco looked up to the sky and watched as heaps of flyers rained down Echo Creek. Marco grabbed one, examining it. An image of a crystallized heart with a fifteen inside stood in the middle of the page

 _You're cordially invited to Marco's Sweet 15th,_ the page read.

 _Awh, she's throwing a birthday party for you, and she's going all out, how sweet_ , 'Marco' thought.

Ferguson and Alfonso grabbed one of their own from the air.

"Hey, what time are we supposed to be back at your place Marco?" Alfonso asked.

Marco shrugged.

Ferguson flailed his arms outwards. "Ugh, I can't believe you actually got us kicked out of the sea park."

Alfonso walked in-between them. "Yeah, I thought Ferguson would get us kicked out."

"Not the point," Ferguson said, holding a hand out. "Seriously though, Marco, what were you thinking? That's not how Black Ocean wants us to save the sea creatures."

"Eh." Marco's gaze wandered away. "I was probably gonna eat them anyways."

Ferguson seethed up, balling his hand into a fist. He looked up and noticed a sign with a sea trout sticking out. An open sign posted on the door window welcomed all customers

"If you want to eat so bad, come with me, Marco"—Ferguson dragged Marco inside—"This is probably the best seafood place in Echo Creek."

Alfonso caught up inside.

"I come here every chance I get," Ferguson said. "You're gonna love this place, Marco—"

Marco lingered by a table where customers were seated. Purple dribble leaked out of Marco's mouth, almost landing in their food.

Ferguson pulled Marco away. "Marco, what the heck? You know better than this." Ferguson made Marco sit down at one of the tables. "Stay here, I'll go get you some food." Ferguson walked over to the counter. "Alfonso, make sure Marco doesn't drool on anyone else's food."

"Okay!" Alfonso looked at Marco, remarking that Marco's skin turned to an even darker shade of purple. "I think we need to get you to the hospital again, Marco."

"What are you talking about?" Marco asked. "I feel great. Perfectly fine."

Marco leaned back in his chair. "Absolutely fine.

The boy in the red, tattered hoodie closed his eyes. "Just fi—"

Marco's body trembled, shaking the table alongside. He slammed his head on the table, while seething in pain. Marco sat up straight and opened his eyes.

Alfonso noticed the black shading disappear from Marco's irises.

Marco pounced towards Alfonso.

"Alfonso, you have to help me!"

"Marco, what are you—"

Marco pressed his slimy hands on Alfonso's shoulders, staining it with the thick, purple fluid. "I can't keep fighting it; it's winning and I don't know how much of me is still me."

"Fight what? Marco what's going—"

"It's taking over my mind, its controlling everything I do!" Marco stared at his own discoloured, bruised hand. His right arm looked unrecognizable, as his palm was covered with suckers similar to that of a squid.

Marco whimpered.

Alfonso rocked in his chair, shirking back as customers turned their attention to the boy in the red hoodie.

"There's so much noise in my head, I can't even think!" Marco slammed his head on the wooden table. "Get me to Star. She's our only chance to stop _him_."

"Stop who?"

Marco rose up from the table, sitting back down properly. "I'm not sure. What were we talking about?" The black shading on Marco's eyes returned.

"Okay, here ya go, Marco." Ferguson set down several baskets of seafood on the table.

Marco's mouth watered as he stared at the delicacies laid in front of him. Steam rose from the basket of crispy shrimp fried in a thick batter. A basket of fried cod laid next to the shrimp, causing more thick purple saliva drip onto the table.

Ferguson had filled the entire table with seafood entrees.

"Um, enjo—"

Marco swallowed the baskets whole. The natural flavors of the fish were masked with spicy seasoning and thick batter. Still, Marco craved every bite. Marco looked down at the empty table then back towards Ferguson. "More…"

"But that costed me—"

Marco slammed his fist on the table, splashing purple fluid into Alfonso and Ferguson's face. "It's my birthday."

Ferguson held his hand out, backing away. "Okay, okay Marco, I have some extra money to spare, don't worry."

"Ferguson, can I speak with you in private?" Alfonso pulled Ferguson off to the side. He made sure he and Ferguson were an earshot away from Marco. "Dude, we need to do something about Marco."

"I know, that entire platter costed sixty bucks," Ferguson said.

"Not about the food!" Alfonso pointed to the disheveled mess that was Marco. He leaned close to Ferguson's ear. "I think he might be, possessed."

"Possessed?" Ferguson asked, "that's crazy, don't be ridiculous man." Ferguson placed his hand underneath his chin, feigning deep thought. "Have you and Janna been watching Supernatural Slayers without me?"

"Come on, Ferg, think about it. He's been doing things Marco would never do."

Ferguson watched Marco swat over for a basket of shrimp, as the customer struggled to keep it away from him. "Well, he's always hated seafood, hasn't he?" Intrigued, Ferguson considered the idea of possession even further. "Plus, he's just had a weird obsession with fish in general, all day."

Something went off in Ferguson's head. "Plus, ever since we watched Black Ocean, he's hated sea parks." Ferguson looked deep into Alfonso's eyes. "Dude, I think you're right."

"We have to call Star, now!" Alfonso screamed.

Ferguson pulled out his phone. "Way ahead of ya." He mashed through the list of contacts, trying to find Star's name in the crowd before pressing the phone next his ear. "Come on, pick up, pick up…"

Someone on the other end picked up.

"Star, listen, Marco is messed up and we need your help," Ferguson said, tapping his fingers on the side. "Yes, this is a bigger deal than your piñata. We think Marco is possessed."

Ferguson didn't say a single word for a while. Alfonso leaned in close. Then he pulled his phone away from his ear as soon as he could, as garbled noise shot out from the receiver.

Alfonso covered his own ears.

Ferguson pressed the phone back to his ear and said, "No, we're not joking, he's really messed up right now." Ferguson bellowed out a loud groan. "His skin is getting worse, he's leaking this purple liquid everywhere—"

"—and he got us kicked out of the sea park," Alfonso added.

"Yeah, that too. Basically, we need you or else who knows how much worse Marco will get." Ferguson waited and listened, nodding repeatedly.

Alfonso looked over Ferguson's shoulder, feeling his own jaw clench on instinct. He barely contained his own scream, making an audible yelp that got many customer's attention. Alfonso tapped Ferguson shoulder. Ferguson brushed it off.

"Yeah, sure, I'll hand it over to Marco." Ferguson turned towards their table and noticed a lack of Marco. A few shrill screams rang from the kitchen as Ferguson and Alfonso heard the sound of the back door shattering. "On second thought, I'll call you right back." Ferguson hung up his phone and stared eye-to-eye with Alfonso.

Soon after, the owner kicked Ferguson and Alfonso out for excessive noise.

Star stared at the two piñatas Mr. Diaz held up. She compared the one covered in blue mache with the pink piñata wearing a moustache. Meanwhile, she kept her phone next to her ear.

"Okay, pass the phone over to Marco," Star ordered, nudging her shoulder over so it held her phone in place. "I want to talk to him myself."

 _"On second thought, I'll call you right back,"_ Ferguson said before hanging up.

"What, no, let me talk to"—Only a dial tone remained—"oh my, ugh." Star hung up herself and shoved her phone back into her bag.

"So, Star, which one?" Mr. Diaz asked.

Star pondered for a moment, pressing her fingers underneath her chin. "Why can't we have both?"

"We only have enough candy to fill one of the piñatas," Mr. Diaz said. "I mean, it's not like we can magically conjure up more candy out of nowhere."

"Um…" Star pointed at her own wand. "Yeah we can."

"Oh right, I forgot."

Star gasped as a thought occurred to her. She powered her wand, pointing it at the pink piñata with the moustache. The piñata expanded, until it covered the middle of the yard. Star rose the piñata into the air, ready to be smashed.

"There should be enough candy in there to put everyone in a sugar coma," Star said.

Mrs. Diaz sniggered as Star heard the sound of cars parking in the driveway. "We'll see about that."

A short, hunched-over elderly lady hobbled her way over, as several other members of Marco's extended family followed her in.

"Mama!" Mr. Diaz knelt down, ready to embrace his own mother.

"Rafi!" Grandma Diaz wrapped both arms around her son as tight as she could. "It's so good to see you."

Mr. Diaz coughed out his lungs, feeling the pressure exerted from her mother's embrace. He pushed back in a vain attempt to get some air. "It's, ugh, great to see you too, Mama."

Grandma Diaz let him go, giving Mr. Diaz some time to catch a breath. From the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs. Diaz walk by. She hugged Mrs. Diaz, who reciprocated back. "Angie, _mi morra_ , how is my wonderful daughter-in-law doing? How's my son treating you?"

"Oh, well." Mrs. Diaz let Grandma Diaz go and leaned close to Mr. Diaz, tenderly caressing his arms. "You've raised a wonderful son."

Grandma Diaz snickered under her breath. "It's my specialty." She looked towards Star, zooming in on her. "You must be Rafi's new house guest."

Star made an audible gasp. "I am! How did you know?"

"Rafi's told me a lot about you." Grandma Diaz extended an arm over to Star. "Please, call me Grandma Diaz."

Star offered her own hand. "Star. Star Butterfly."

"Pleased to meet you, Star. Now, where's Marco?" Grandma Diaz asked. "How are we supposed to have a birthday celebration without the birthday boy?"

"Oh, Star sent him out with a couple of friends," Mr. Diaz said. "We have a wide variety of surprises ready for him."

"Like this baby." Star presented the massive piñata to Grandma Diaz, knocking on the side of it.

"Oh, dios mio," Grandma Diaz muttered. "Young Rafi would have been so happy to see this on his 15th."

The crowd of kids waiting behind Grandma Diaz grew antsy.

"I wanna hit it first!"

"No, me first!"

"No, let me!"

A deafening roar echoed through the backyard. Everyone turned to see a manticore scratch his sleepy eyes as a litter of hyperactive puppies sprinted from the house, firing a laser or two out of their eyes.

"Woah."

"Any of you kids want a ride on Manny the Manticore?" Star asked, kneeling down with a smile. "Or play with the laser puppies?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

Jackie slid to a stop, tucking her board inwards. She hopped off and signaled Janna, who was sitting on the bench. Noticing something fly by, she caught the bottle of cola with her free hand, twisting the cap open.

"So, Jackie, the new skateboard, good? Bad?" Janna asked. "Garbage?"

Jackie picked up her board and rolled the wheels over and over again. "These wheels are messed, so it's impossible for me to turn properly." She blew on wheels, turning the board in different directions, examining it. "This was not worth the 50% off I paid. Mr. Wong should've given something like, a 90% discount"

Janna reached out for it. "I can take it off your hands if you wish."

Jackie moved it out of Janna's reach.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Janna snickered. She checked her flyer once more. "We should probably head off to Marco's b-day party now."

"We will," Jackie replied. "I just need to pick something up from my place."

The crowd of skaters running away caught Jackie and Janna's attention. Neither of them heard each other through the cacophony of screams. A skater was hurled towards Jackie, who caught him as he was about to face-plant onto the concrete.

"What's going on?" Jackie asked the skater.

The skater pointed over to the skate park entrance. Jackie and Janna looked over, as they tensed up, eyes popped open.

"No, no, no!" A skater struggled to crawl against the concrete, as an arm wrapped around his foot. He tried to kick it away, but he couldn't escape its grasp. The skater stared up, whimpering.

"It's been a while since I've tried something _human,_ " Marco said, as he pulled the skater close. "You'll do." Marco bared his pointy, sharpened teeth towards him.

"Marco?"

Marco staggered back, dropping the skater to the ground.

"It is Marco," Jackie said, examining his darkened, purple arms, exposed by his ripped sweater. "Kinda hard to tell from a distance."

"Sick tats, bro." Janna pointed to the dark markings painted across Marco's arms.

Jackie approached Marco, moving one step at a time. "You alright, Marco? You don't look to swell."

"I feel fantastic…" Marco's mouth seeped a sticky, purple froth. "I'm just really hungry. And it's been a while since I've seen such a delicacy."

"Delicacy?"

Marco dashed towards Jackie, waving his deranged, squid-like arms out in front.

Jackie held out an arm over her face. She lowered her arms as soon as she heard the sound of splintering wood. Jackie found half her skateboard shattered on the ground while Janna poked an unconscious Marco with the remaining half of the skateboard.

"Janna, did you just—"

"Wait…" Janna kept prodding Marco. "Yup, he's still alive.

Jackie placed a hand next to her chest, breathing out in relief. Then she saw the broken skateboard parts. "You owe me a new deck."

"Hey, I panicked, I couldn't find anything else to hit him over the head with." Janna looked down, noticing a perfectly fine steal pipe lying on the ground.

Closing in, Ferguson and Alfonso ran up to Marco, dropping to their knees and heaving for breath as they finally caught up to Marco.

"We found him!" Ferguson said.

"Oh, thank goodness, he's down." Alfonso coughed onto the pavement.

"Ferg, Alf, what's up with Marco?" Janna asked.

Jackie lifted Marco's arm up. "Why's he rotting, and smelly and…" Jackie dropped his arm, looking at the purple fluids sticking on her hand. "Ew."

"Can we find another place to talk about all this?" Ferguson asked.

"Yeah." Alfonso pointed behind, showing the girls the path of destruction Marco plowed on his way to the skate park. A trail made up of wreckage and small fires littered the scene. Several people "Somewhere private, where no one is gonna disturb us."

Jackie looked down to the passed out Marco, then straight down the street to see other people putting out fires or cleaning up any wreckage.

Jackie pulled Marco up by his hoodie. "My garage, now."

* * *

"Yeah, mom, don't come into the garage for a bit," Jackie yelled as she closed the only door leading to the garage, locking it for good measure.

Alfonso and Ferguson rushed to secure Marco's legs to the wooden chair.

Janna moaned under her breath as she rubbed vertically along Marco's thick, slimy, viscous arm, amazed by its smoothness despite the extensive discolouration. Curiosity compelled her to taste the seeping fluids, against her better judgement. It was an unusual, yet pleasant experience.

"Janna, stop stroking his arm already!" Jackie ordered. "Just tie him up."

"Yeah, yeah, I was doing that." Janna ensured Marco's arms were behind the chair. She bonded Marco's hands together with duct tape, applying the entire roll in one go.

"So, I was asking…" Jackie mulled over Marco's limp, decaying body. "You guys have any idea what's wrong with him?"

"Nope," Ferguson said.

"Not a clue." Alfonso held in place for a moment. "Well, Ferguson and I believe he's possessed, but that's just crazy."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Marco has not been himself all day," Alfonso said. "Aside from morphing into a dug-up corpse, Marco's started having weird obsessions with eating fish."

"Yeah, he nearly blew my allowance on a seafood platter." Ferguson lamented over his lighter wallet. "He wasn't even nice enough to share."

"Really?" Janna asked. "He hates seafood though."

"I know," Ferguson said. "That's what so weird about this whole thing."

"At this point, we believe he's possessed by some fish-crazed ghost."

"Or demon—"

Marco groaned as he seemed to begin to shake himself awake. Janna readied a steal beam as he drifted back into an unconscious state. Janna set the beam down.

Janna noticed a strange marking underneath Marco's arm. She went up to him and pulled his arm close, inspecting the marking.

Jackie gritted her teeth. "Janna, what did I say about strokin—"

"I'm not," Janna replied, pointing to the line of markings engraved on Marco's arm. "This _thing_ on Marco's arm is legit bugging me, I swear I saw something similar." She tilted her head, rotating his arm as well, to no avail. Janna couldn't figure out where it came from. "If only there was a way to identify markings electronically." Janna pulled out her phone. "Oh wait, there is."

"You talking about that three dollar scam of an app?" Jackie asked. "You know most of the info on that thing is probably—"

"Hey, if you want to be a respectable cryptologist, you must use Crypt-Dentifier. The ultimate identification tool for crytids." Janna opened the app, taking a picture of Marco's arm as it prompted her. In an instant, a result popped up. Janna made a wry grin. "Told ya it works."

The text box read:

 _Identified as: Maaarkign of rel'kETh._

 _Summary: iS thing that conSuMs alot._

Janna grimaced, closing the app. "Okay, never mind, this thing is trash."

"In any case." Jackie sighed. "We need Star."

Everyone in the garage nodded.

"Wait, isn't Star still busy?" Alfonso asked.

The space unicorn ringtone echoed from Marco's pocket. Ferguson went up and picked Marco's phone from his pocket. Ferguson answered the phone. "Hello?"

 _"Marco, your whole family is here!" Star yelped. "They're getting antsy, get back here as soon as you can!"_

Ferguson dropped the call and said, "Star's waiting on us to come back.

"Well"—Jackie grabbed a hold of the chair, careful not to wake him—"we better get a move on."

* * *

Star took one final look at the crowd, mixed with Marco's extended family and surprisingly quite a few people from town. Marco's cousins and Star's admirer kept themselves preoccupied with Manny the Manticore. Grandma Diaz chased the laser puppies around the backyard, knocking into the other guests by accident. Even Sabrina arrived, waving 'hello' to Star as she went in.

Star checked her phone and saw a text from Jackie that said:

 _Coming now, it's super urgent._ A terrified emoji appeared beside the message. Star didn't think much of it.

"Okay, Birthday Boy is coming this way." Star conjured up a portal floating over the backyard. "Everyone get in either of those, and on my signal, jump out."

All the guests and Star hopped into the portal.

"What is this place?" One of the guests asked.

Star shrugged. "I have no idea." The space expanded as more people entered. "But, there should be enough space for everybody."

Star smiled in anticipation, ignoring the crowd of people for a moment. She ran through the checklist of everything needed for the party.

 _Food tables are prepped._

 _The piñata is set._

Star flipped her wand in the air. _I can make a dance floor in seconds . And…_

Star checked her bag. A chrome-coloured, luminescent star rested on the bottom. _I hope Marco likes it._

Star heard the patter of footsteps from the backyard. Her wand shined. "Now!"

Everybody hopped out the portal, as fireworks blasted in the air.

"Happy Birthday, Marco!" Everyone cheered. Then everyone went silent.

"Oh sweet Mewni…"

* * *

 **How will Star and friends get out of this kooky predicament? Well, I know, but that's for a later chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	26. Marco's Sweet 15th Part 3

**Episode 9: Marco's Sweet 15th Part 3**

 **Synopsis: Star tries to throw the best birthday party for Marco, but he's feeling a bit under the weather. Will Star actually notice before its too late?**

 **Special Thanks to my Betas:**

 **Sabrina06  
PaintedPetrichor**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Before the party**

"Come on," Star said, "there has to be something Marco will like around here."

Star dove headfirst into the pile of mish-mash accumulated in a hidden compartment in her room. In that pile, were different kinds of colognes and unlabelled bottles, mixed with the odd weapon and various items collected from her adventures. Without batting an eye, she tossed them behind her, a few items shattering into shards. She groaned as she clawed her way through the pile.

"Star, we need your help with the cake," Mrs. Diaz exclaimed, popping her head through the door.

Star pulled her head out of the mountain of stuff, inhaling deeply. "Yeah, yeah, I just need to find something, be right down."

Mrs. Diaz nodded as she turned around and left.

Star continued chucking items from the pile, each time with a heavier sigh.

Behind her, Glossaryk popped out of his spell book, ducking down as a mace flew in his direction.

"Lose your wand again, Star?" Glossaryk asked as he ducked under Star's incoming wand. "I'll take that as a no." Glossaryk walked towards the pile.

Star paid no mind to the blue, diminutive wizard.

"What are you looking for?" Glossaryk waved a hand over Star's eyes.

"A birthday gift for Marco." Star said, keeping her eyes glued to the pile. "I forgot to ask him beforehand. I know he said he didn't really want anything, but still."

Glossaryk peered towards star's wand as he placed his fingers underneath his chin. He tugged the hem of Star's dress.

Star turned to Glossaryk, to her chagrin.

"Why not just make something out of thin air with your wand?" Glossaryk asked. "It'll probably save you a lot of stress, Star. That's one of the things the wand is good for."

"Yeah, but it's not the same." Star carried on her search for a suitable gift. "A birthday gift should be something that comes from effort and exhaustion." She saw her wand lying on the ground, and went over to pick it up. "Just making an awesome gift appear out of thin air kinda makes the whole thing a bit pointless don't you think?"

Glossaryk pressed both hands together and said, "You're the boss."

Star shrugged and continued her search. A beam of light shone through a crack running down the pile. She shoved everything to the sides, revealing a miniature Star glowing in silver light. Star hopped back with a gasp. "I found something!"

"What the?" Glossaryk walked over, bending down to peer in for a closer look. "Star, that's a star shard!"

"I know, that's even better!" Star squealed. "Doesn't it grant you your _one true wish_ , before you even know it? It's like the greatest birthday gift ever. Especially for someone as finicky as Marco."

Glossaryk kept his eyes on the star shard. "So, this is where it went. How did it get here?"

Star's lips formed a meek smile as she shrugged.

Glossaryk stared up towards Star. "Oh man, Moon and River went banana-nut crazy when this went missing. Maybe we should return it, I bet your parents would love to see it again."

"Nah, they could probably find another one." Star chuckled under her breath. "I remember that day. I couldn't walk through the castle without stepping on a guard." Star picked it up, placing it inside her bag. "I know Marco will love this."

"Really?" Glossaryk raised an eyebrow. "Is giving it to Marco as a gift really worth risking dimensional stability?"

"Of course!" Star looked over to her nightstand, finding a photo of her and Marco. In the photo, Star had her arm wrapped around Marco's waist, with her other hand posing with a sideways peace sign. Marco had his arm around her neck. Both of them smiled. "He's like, the bestest bestie ever and he deserves the bestest gift a bestie can give. And besides…"

Star stared at her own wand, clasping it tighter. "I owe him for everything."

"Meh," Glossaryk said, "whatever floats your boat, princess"

"Oh, Star!" The Diazs called from outside.

"Well, what's the point of an awesome gift without an awesome party?" Star made her way to the door. Her wand glowed alongside her. "Time to make it happen."

* * *

 **Now**

A few people in the crowd fainted the instant Ferguson and Alfonso came in as Jackie and Janna dragged Marco along. Mr. and Mrs. Diazs' eyes widened, as both of them bellowed out screams.

"Oh sweet Mewni." Star pressed her hands against her mouth. "What happened to Marco?"

"We have no idea," Ferguson replied.

Jackie and Janna held Marco up, letting his legs drag along the ground. At this point, his entire body was swathed in a shade of purple. His clothes were drenched with a dark, viscous fluid, seeping from his pores. As soon as Star stepped forwards, a rotting stench struck her in the nose, forcing her back.

Star tensed up as soon as she looked down towards Marco's 'arm'; a deformed hybrid of a squid tentacle and his human arm.

"He's been acting weird all day," Alfonso said, "but this…" Alfonso had a hard time looking at his deformed friend. "This is just, nuts."

"Marco." Star nudged Marco on the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me what's going on? Or did you?" She went up, looking towards the house. "Don't worry, Marco, I'll fix you right up."

Marco's eyes burst open, revealing shaking pupils. "Why fix what isn't broke, Star?" Marco tentacle arm expanded, grasping onto Star, Jackie and Janna. "I feel fantastic." 'Marco's' other arm glowed. It morphed into another tentacle/arm hybrid and grabbed any other guests it could. He pulled Star close towards him.

"What are you doing, Marco?" Star struggled to push herself off as the tentacle wrapped tighter. "This isn't you at all!"

"I know," 'Marco' replied. "I've messed with Marco's body so much, it's hard to even call me 'human'." A wry grin formed along his face. "But, I have to thank you, Star."

"For what?" Star heaved out.

"For giving me an opportunity to take over Marco's body." 'Marco' stared straight towards Star. "Do you know who I am?"

Star shook her head.

"You remember when you messed up Marco's arm, and gave him a tentacle instead? That's me." 'Marco' chuckled. "Did you really think you could get rid of me _just_ by changing me back into a human arm?"

Jackie flailed her foot around, fighting against the tightening tentacle.

"I've stuck around for quite a while, in Marco's subconscious. If Marco hadn't grabbed a hold of that wand, there would have been no source of magic for me to grasp onto. I would've been stuck there forever." 'Marco' licked along the top of his lip as more purple saliva flowed down from his mouth. "So thank you, Star. I'll be sure to find a way to repay you."

"So all of this," Star muttered to herself, "this is all my fault."

"Hey, Star, don't look so down," 'Marco' said. "You've done a great thing. Do you know how good it feels to be _free?_ " Something rumbled inside of 'Marco'. He pulled everyone closer to his gaping maw. "Now, I think it's time for an afternoon snack."

Star looked away from the depths as she kept trying to squirm out of 'Marco's' grasp. But it was useless. Even against her struggle, the tentacle wrapped tighter. Still, despite watching herself edge closer towards his mouth, Star kicked and screamed, defiant. The arm loosened up a bit.

In the other arm, Grandma Diaz bit his tentacle, forcing her teeth deep inside.

'Marco' screamed his lungs out, releasing everybody.

Star landed on the ground, feet first, readying her wand.

"Get back here!" Marco threw his arms out towards the crowd.

"Rapid Confetti Transform!" Star pointed her wand outwards and reformed 'Marco's' tentacles into streams of confetti.

'Marco' stopped in place, staring at his limbless stumps. He snickered.

"I don't know what _you've_ done to Marco," Star said, aiming her wand at the deformed 'Marco'. Her shoulders hunched over, but she tried to keep herself steady despite her legs betraying her. "But one way or another, I'm getting him back."

'Marco' cackled into the air as another pair of tentacles sprouted out from the place his arms should be. "If that's what you want, you have to try harder than that."

Star grinned. "It'll be my pleasure!" Star charged forwards and fired blast after blast.

'Marco' propelled himself upwards with his tentacles, hopping into the air, letting the blasts hit the house.

The crowd of people ran off in separate directions as a shadow encroached them. 'Marco' landed on the ground with a massive thud. The ground below his feet fractured. Enraged, 'Marco' whipped his tentacles straight towards Star.

"I'm not gonna let you ruin my bestie's birthday!" Star swung her wand against 'Marco's' tentacles, shoving them aside. Still, the tentacles ravaged on, lashing out towards Star as she struggled to deflect each one.

In a brief moment, Star blasted herself back, charging her wand up. "Piranha Wave Annihilation!" A surge of piranhas rushed through the air. They latched on to 'Marco', embedding their teeth all over his body.

As more piranhas covered 'Marco', he collapsed onto the ground, screaming bloody murder.

Star aimed her wand at the piranha-covered heap. "Returnius Marcoius Normalita!" An iridescent light bathed around 'Marco'. The piranhas disappeared as Marco's skin returned to its natural shade of light-ish brown.

"Marco," Star whispered, watching his arms return to normal. She caressed the bruised and battered boy with both hands. "Are you alright?"

'Marco' opened his eyes, pupils still black. "Oh sure." Tentacles sprouted out in place of his arms and bundled Star together. _"I feel fantastic."_

Star kept squirming against 'Marco's' tentacles, defiant.

"Did you really think a spell like that will get rid of me?"

Behind 'Marco', Jackie and Janna sprinted towards him, brandishing lead pipes.

Two blue, translucent tentacles sprouted up from the ground. They grabbed a hold of Jackie and Janna.

Star stared at 'Marco' with trembling, watery eyes.

"Like I said"—'Marco' grinned—"I'm not exactly human anymore."

Summoning every bit of will remaining, Star pulled her hand out of his grasp. "Not for long, you aren't." Underneath, Star tossed her wand up to her free hand. A spark of electricity discharged from the top of her wand. She plunged it deep into the tentacle, letting a surge of electricity flow through it.

'Marco' twitched in the air, releasing Star. His body smouldered as he forced himself to stand back up. More blue tentacles popped out of the ground behind him.

Star sprinted forwards, wand out in front.

A wave of tentacles extended towards Star. As they emerged close to her, Star rolled to the side. The tentacles struck the piñata, bursting it open into a storm of candy confections. Her own vision clouded as the broken piñata struck the ground. Her nostrils flared with increasing intensity. She tunneled towards 'Marco'.

 _That piñata was supposed to be for Marco._

Star screamed as she sprinted towards him.

'Marco' wrapped both his tentacles into one, swinging it like a baseball bat.

Star knocked her wand on the tentacles off to the side and sent 'Marco' tumbling down. She slashed her wand sideways, firing a barrage of blue light towards him.

Another explosion of light blinded everyone in the vicinity. When everything cleared up, 'Marco' lay on his stomach, feet and tentacles bonded together.

Star walked over to him, priming her wand for another blast. She took each step as slowly as she could, pointing her wand towards him.

'Marco' sniggered, forcing a grin as Star moved closer to him. "Go ahead—"

Star stopped right in front of him.

"—take the shot."

Star hesitated, letting a bead of sweat run down her forehead.

"What's the matter?" 'Marco' asked. "You seemed so eager before, what's stopping you now?"

"Sh… shut up."

"Can it be, are you unwilling to kill your own bestie, as you call him? Oh, how delicious."

Star knocked him over the head with her wand. "I told you to shut up!"

Everyone gathered behind Star, watching the scene unfold in.

"Marco as you know him is gone. I got rid of him, fairly easily actually."

"No…" Star whimpered, as the hand holding the wand began to shake. "No, I'll save him, one way or another."

"Face it, Butterfly, you've only got two choices: Either you kill me now and prevent possible human annihilation. Or I set myself free while you're too distracted trying to find a 'cure' for all of this. Either way, Marco's not coming back. What will it be, Butterfly?"

Star stood there, silent, contemplating. The crowd of voices behind her didn't help.

"Don't kill him, there has to be another way!"

"End Marco's misery!"

Star pulled her hair, debating. She wanted to scream; scream as loud as she could. But her best friend needed her help. Star shut her eyes tight, in some vain attempt to make it all go away.

Star's wand glowed, forcing her eyes to burst open.

 _"You know what to do, Star,"_ someone not from the crowd whispered to her.

And in that moment, an idea came to her.

Star swallowed her throat as she knelt down to Marco. "If you're not leaving Marco's mind and body"—Star pressed their heads against each other, and then held her wand next to her own head—"I'm pulling you out myself!"

Star fired a hollow beam through both of their heads.

* * *

Dark, darker, still darker yet.

* * *

"Did I do it?"

* * *

This was the first time Star had ever intruded upon someone else's mind alone. She could have sworn it wasn't ever this empty.

Star didn't have much time.

* * *

Star opened her eyes, watching _something_ unfold in front of her.

"Congratulations, it's a healthy baby boy!" The doctor said.

The doctor wrapped an infant in a cashmere cloth, setting it down to the woman lying on the bed. A brawny, stocky man knelt beside her, cooing softly as he kept his eyes glued on his newborn son.

"Raf, he's beautiful," The woman said, keeping her newborn son cradled in her arms.

Mr. Diaz let out a soft chuckle as he caressed the top of the baby's head. "I told you Angie, keeping it a surprise was a great idea."

Mrs. Diaz gently rocked her baby back and forth, feeling her own heart melt as the baby cooed himself.

"Still, it's a shame Grandpapi Ubaldo isn't here to see this," Mr. Diaz muttered to himself. "He would've been dancing in glee right now."

"If he lasted another two days, then maybe…" Mrs. Diaz stopped herself when she noticed her husband's eyes slightly watering. "In any case, we have to pick a name for him. What do you think, Raf?"

Mr. Diaz stared up to the ceiling, thinking about it. "Are you sure you don't want to name him, _Luchadore Jones?_ "

Mrs. Diaz groaned, shaping her lips into a frown. "We're not calling him that, Rafael."

"Awh," Mr. Diaz muttered.

"How about, Marco?" Mrs. Diaz asked.

"Yeah, Marco Diaz…" Mr. Diaz let the syllables roll out of his tongue. "Marco Ubaldo Diaz…"

Star cooed herself, feeling a warm sensation flowing through her body as she stared at baby Marco.

Something pulled her away. Star flailed her arms around, struggling to fight against it.

And then darkness.

* * *

Star drifted along for a while, passing by fading images of Marco's memories.

The day Mr. Diaz taught Marco how to ride a bike. The moment Mr. Diaz let him go, Marco fell off to the side. In a hurry, Mr. Diaz lunged towards him, cradling him while he apologized. Star snickered as Mr. Diaz squeezed Marco as hard as he could, while the boy's face turned to a darker shade of purple.

Mrs. Diaz comforting Marco after a failed attempt to win Jackie's heart. She found Marco sobbing on the stairwell. Mrs. Diaz knelt behind him, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

Their hug the first night they met each other. Star remembered that day. At that moment, she didn't even know how to react after hearing the boy who wanted nothing to do with her, change his mind at the last moment, and invited her to his home. She pounced on Marco, embracing him with every bit of gratitude embedded in her. Marco reciprocated.

Each memory flickered with static.

All of Marco's memories, the good and the bad, drifted away, breaking apart.

Star had to fix this.

Star didn't know where she was going. But she knew at some point, she'll be where she needed to be. So she closed her eyes, drifting along. She waited.

* * *

And waited.

* * *

And waited.

* * *

A tentacle wrapped around her waist, pulling her out of her stupor and pulled her deeper.

More tentacles popped out, shattering Marco's memories into shards of nothingness.

Star flailed her arms in vain, being dragged deeper and deeper.

"You're not supposed to be in here."

"Yeah, well, neither are you!" Star shouted.

"All of this, every bit of Marco's mind in my reach is my domain now. Butterfly, do you know who I am?"

Star found herself submerged in a red fluid. For a brief moment, she stood still. Then she flailed in the depths in desperation. She fought against the thick, viscous liquid pressing down on her. Reddish bubbles flowed up to the surface.

"Do you know who I am?"

Star scrawled up to the surface, choking hard. When she broke the surface, she gasped for air, coughing out the red fluids. Another tentacle wrapped around her. Again, she tried to push herself out its grasp.

"Don't fight. Just watch."

Star rose higher. From high up, she realized how massive the body of water was. A tentacle appeared out of the ocean, covering a huge portion of it.

"That's me"

More tentacles sprouted out from the ocean, rising alongside each other.

"That's everyone else. Together, we form a collective. A hive-mind so to speak. A thousand minds controlling one being"

Something swam along the surface of the ocean. One of the tentacles clasped onto it, dragging it down to the depths. Water splashed in tidal waves as something emerged from the depths.

Star raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because, I want you to understand what I am."

"Understand you?" Star raised her voice. "You're just a squid. A squid whose arm I grafted onto Marco by accident!"

"No! I'm not just a _Monster Arm_ as you say. Listen carefully."

The tentacle released Star. She didn't feel as though she were falling, yet she couldn't feel anything beneath her. Star couldn't stand up.

"Before the universe existed, there was nothing."

Star gasped for air as she felt something constrict in her body.

"And before that, _came the monsters._ The kind early civilizations have come to fear."

Blackness obscured everything around her. Star sensed something furry under her hands. She moved her hands around, running it against something furry, moist and scaly in different intervals.

Star prodded something soft and wet by accident.

"Now you've done it."

It shrieked. More joined in, blaring against Star's ears. Covering her ears didn't help. She tried to crawl back, but something bit her back. It was difficult for Star to perceive her surroundings as she felt everything bite and scratch her. Star pulled out her wand and fired in all directions. The flash from each blast lit bright enough to show various grotesque eldritch abominations, all enraged.

"Get away from me, you freaks!" Star muttered.

Everything rushed towards her, grazing her arms and legs. Star tried to howl out in pain, only for the thick air to start suffocating her. She swung her wand, firing lasers in all directions.

And yet, they still came, relentless. Gnashing on her skin, tearing some of it to pieces.

Something shook below her, sending her tumbling.

Everything stopped attacking her. Their feral, guttural roars were replaced with hushed whimpers and uneasy moans.

From the darkness, Star saw the outline of something slithering up from the ground. More sprouted from the ground. One nearly impaled her, only for her to slide off to the side.

The others weren't so lucky.

Star tucked herself into the fetal position and covered her ears. She could still hear their dying moans.

Something below her opened up. Everything fell down into the ether, including her. As she plunged downwards, Star screamed. This time, nothing stopped her. Star looked up, watching the sky close like a mouth. She could barely make out the outline of a mouth full of teeth.

Star kept falling.

* * *

"I don't know if something worse created me, or if I came about through random chance. But from the moment I woke up, I could only feel one thing."

Star couldn't open her eyes.

"Hunger. An insatiable feeling that a lifetime of consumption can't satisfy. So, I kept devouring everything I've come across. Lesser creatures, planets, stars, galaxies…"

When she opened her eyes, she saw a jittery, disheveled Marco in front of her.

Marco waved his hands out in the air. "Please, help me! Please—"

A tentacle impaled him through the abdomen. He disappeared into the ether.

Star held her hands over her mouth, eyes watering.

"…even the minds of other beings."

Star backed away, shaking her wand out in front. In an instant, everything illuminated. Star looked up to see a dome of tentacles wrapped together, forming a roof over her head. Tentacles slithered by Star's feet. Panicking, she disintegrated them, letting the ash pile up on the ground. More sprouted up on the floor.

"There's nothing left for you here. By now, I've consumed every bit of Marco's mind. Go back now, _or suffer."_

Star let out a deep breath. "If it means saving my best friend, I'll stay inside here until I can get him back!" Star didn't have a plan when she entered deep inside Marco's mind. But she knew there was no way she could let the thing possessing Marco live on. "Even if it means spending the rest of my life in this crazy place."

More tentacles slithered, in a circle, surrounding Star. "So be it." The tentacles stretched up into the air and pounced on Star. One grabbed a hold of Star's heel.

As it pulled her away, Star morphed her wand into a sword, using it to slash the tentacle off.

"Excavalier Incinerito!" A blast of light exploded. As her vision cleared up, Star watched all the tentacles surrounding her disintegrate into ash. Some of it landed on her head, giving her hair a shade of black.

Star let out a deep breath.

And then the ash levitated into the air, reforming into the tentacles she already incinerated.

Star strafed off to the side, firing off blast after blast, doing everything she could to destroy them all.

But everything regenerated and even more tentacles popped up in front of Star.

"Like I said, in my mind, I control everything. He's not coming back."

Star shot her way through the waves of tentacles, groaning as they reformed.

"Tell me, how are you gonna bring him back?"

Gritting her teeth, Star's wand emitted a shockwave, slicing the tentacles into pieces. Above her, six orange pupils, three stacked in a column.

"You didn't even come in here with a plan, did you?"

Star kept running on nothing, side stepping the tentacles rushing towards her.

"Marco, I know you're still in here somewhere, I know you can't be completely gone just yet," Star muttered. "Don't be afraid to come out! You know who I am. I can help you, Marco. Just please, show me where you are."

Massive tendrils sprouted out from the ceiling, shattering the ground. Star kept tripping on nothing.

"I don't understand why you had to keep this a secret from me. But, that doesn't matter. I just want you back." Star started to lose her breath as more tentacles kept spawning in front of her. She almost tripped over one of the tentacles. Her legs ached, her lungs begged for air. But she couldn't leave yet.

"So please, show me where you are!"

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the ether, as Star fell.

* * *

 **How did that song go?**

 _ **It's gonna get a lil Weird!**_

 _ **Gonna get a little wild!**_

 **Yeah. Yeah, that's how it went.**

 **I'll be honest, this was only supposed to be the last part of the episode, but things happened. Sorry about that.**

 **Also to the guest, idc1314, that said she wanted to make fanart of my fanfic, please message me when you finish some so I could take a look. I really want to see it!**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	27. Marco's Sweet 15th Part 4

**Episode 9: Marco's Sweet 15th Part 4**

 **Synopsis: Star tries to throw the best birthday party for Marco, but he's feeling a bit under the weather. Will Star actually notice before its too late?**

 **Special Thanks to my Betas:**

 **Sabrina06  
PaintedPetrichor**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Star landed stomach first on solid concrete. Her hands trembled as she lifted herself up. She stood up and stared down at the ground. A slow smile formed on her lips as she let out a laugh of relief. The feeling of standing on something solid sunk into Star. She promised herself to never take this for granted.

"Where am I now?" Star looked around, finding herself back in her neighbourhood. The black, effervescent sky rumbled above, cracking out in whips of thunder and lightning. She could see Marco's house off in the distance.

Marco appeared out of nowhere, walking up to Star with a sympathetic smile on his face. "Star."

Star ran up to him with open arms. "Marco!" As she was about to wrap her hands around him, a tentacle impaled him through his chest. Marco disintegrated in a dash of orange smoke. Star shrieked, rubbing the smoke off her body.

"I guess I didn't give Marco enough credit. He's stronger than I thought."

More tentacles appeared from above.

"Or maybe I just wasn't thorough enough. It doesn't matter now."

Star found many Marcos scattered around the neighbourhood. Each of them were ambushed by a tentacle, impaling them. Star saw one staggering down the sidewalk. She tried to save him, only for another tentacle to pop up from the ground, striking him through the stomach.

In a moment of desperation, Star powered her wand. "Returnius Marcoius Normalita!" Light exploded from the wand and everything seemed to evaporate under it. Everything regenerated as fast as it disintegrated.

"Did you really think that was gonna work a second time?" An insidious laugh echoed through the ether. "Now, witness me consuming the remnants of Marco's tattered mind. Then, your friend will just be an unrecognizable husk under my control." The tentacles slashed through the air, breaking down the houses and other bits of the neighbourhood.

"No!" Star yelled, running towards Marco's house. She gritted her teeth, feeling the pressure of time weighing on her. "I'll tear you out, first!"

"And how will you do that?" Many tentacles shot towards Star.

"Echoius Repelino!" Star smashed her wand on the ground like a hammer. The ground emitted a shockwave, sending every tentacle flying back. "I'll figure something out," she said in a raspy tone. Still, more of them peered above her, ready to pounce.

"Not good enough, Butterfly." One of the appendages pierced through the road. "You're running out of time." It dragged itself along the path in front of Marco's house, tearing it off from the ground. Marco's house floated away from Star.

"Marco, I know you can hear me, and I know you're scared right now." Picking up the pace, Star sprinted towards the drifting house. The moment she stepped behind the sliced path, Star hopped up, pointing her wand downwards. Her wand shot out a beam of rainbows, propelling her through the air. She reached the other side and landed on her two feet. Finally, she made her way inside the house. "Please, just listen to me, and nothing else."

"Thank you again, Butterfly. Without you leading the way, I wouldn't have found the remnants of Marco's psyche." A tentacle raised from the lawn. "You have my eternal gratitude."

"I don't know how long you've been 'gone', but I'm here now." As Star entered the seemingly familiar house, she stumbled down, taken aback by what's inside. Pictures of Marco, along with a variety of other people, scattered through the room. "So are your parents, Ferguson, Alfonso. Jackie's here too. So's Janna. And your whole family."

On the left, she saw a portrait of a younger Marco, teasing a younger Janna by pulling her beanie over her eyes. Janna was trying to swat Marco away, yet both of them were laughing and smiling.

Star tilted her head to the side, bewildered.

"These are Marco's most vivid memories, the ones that Marco remembers the most. Memories he can't repress or forget, no matter how painful or wonderful."

The next picture over, Star saw another portrait of Marco and Janna, this time with the addition of Jackie. Star took note of the way Marco seemed to walk towards the edge of the portrait with a despondent look, while a concerned Janna tried to reach out for him, holding her hand out. Meanwhile, on the other side, a younger Jackie stood awkwardly, looking away from the two. In the background, Star noticed a heart, cracked in two.

Star tore herself away from the picture, trying to talk into the air.

Star toured through the house, finding a portrait of him putting on his blue belt in front of Star. A tentacle tore into the house, breaking her stupor. More tentacles poked through.

"There's a party waiting for you, Marco." Star's voice cracked, desperate. "We can celebrate it together, just wake up."

Star dashed forwards. She dodged the incoming tentacles, running towards the stairs.

Star heard something groan, seething in rage.

"Why do you fight?"

Star made it to Marco's room, kicking the door open. She noticed a picture frame on the desk. Star walked up to it and picked up the frame. It was the same picture of her and Marco. In the picture, she posed with a sideways peace sign, while both of them smiled as wide as they could.

Star dropped to her knees, holding the frame with both hands. "Marco, I know I can't understand the things you've been going through, nor can I imagine the pain and suffering going on in your mind. I've seen the things _he_ did to your head, but I know it must feel worse for you. But I need you to come out now! I need you here, right now, so we can fight this thing, together." Star inhaled as much air as she could, but her throat betrayed her, choking out in sobs. "I need you here, because… because…"

Star gripped her wand tight. She wished Marco had never laid a finger on it. But he had to, for her sake. All because of her negligence, her irresponsibility, her mistakes…

"I never had the chance to say 'thank you.'"

Star looked down at the ground and ignored her surroundings. Slimy tentacles coated the walls.

A tentacle swiped the frame away from her hands. She reached out for the frame, only for it to disappear into the ether. Everything else did as well.

* * *

"There's nothing left now."

…

"You've failed, Butterfly."

…

"And now, you're best friend is truly gone."

…

Dark, darker, still darker yet.

…

There was nothing left for Star here. Star felt the tentacles hanging above her. She didn't know why they weren't attacking her right now. Perhaps, it would be pointless. Besides, he was willing to let Star leave.

What happened next, laid on Star's heavy hands. She knew what had to happen now.

After all, who knows how much damage he could cause?

Tears flowed down Star's cheeks.

…

"Go. Leave. I can't do anything to you here. Likewise, neither can you. _You can't save him, now._ "

…

From the darkness, came a bit of light.

...

* * *

"Oh wow, Monster Arm really did a number to this place."

Star opened her eyes, turning around to find someone familiar behind her.

"I'm not really too fond of the tentacle wallpaper either."

Star stood up and pounced onto Marco with open arms. He hugged her back.

"Marco, you came back!" Star sobbed on Marco shoulders. Her smile came naturally as she stared at her best friend, who seemed unaffected by the possession judging by the lack of purple shading on his skin.

The tentacles in Marco's room receded.

The Marco in front of Star chuckled lightly. "I'm not Marco, entirely. More like, the voice in his head to make sure he makes the right decision. Usually, I like to stay quiet most of the time, let the other Marcos make his decisions." Marco looked out his window, watching tentacles floating through the ether. A concerned frown formed on his lips. "But, I guess he really needs my help right about now."

"Well, now you're here, we need to get mind and body back." Star looked outside as well, noticing the house drifting away from the street. "I didn't really come here with a plan, though."

"I don't think we need one," Marco said. "I think we can just brute force through this."

"I tried that," Star replied. "He won't budge though."

"Let me try something." Marco held his hand out the window. A soundwave exploded through the ether. Star looked out the window, and noticed everything outside the house reconnected to the streets. Soon, more Marcos materialized in the street, each astounded by the fact that they were standing once more.

Star stared at Marco, her mind filled with glee. "How did you do all this?" Then, Star raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you do this earlier?"

"I don't know. I couldn't before," Marco replied. "That monster arm thing was really tough. Screwed with my head and everything. But now"—Marco's palm glowed—"I think it's time to take back my life." Marco held out an open hand to Star. "I need your help, though. If you don't mind, that is."

Star's wand glowed, brightening the rest of the ether. The light spread through the darkness, cracking open the sky above. "Gladly, Marco." Star held the hand holding the wand towards Marco. He grabbed her hand, hoisting it up in the air. The wand glowed brighter.

The cascade of tentacles above flailed as something in the air screeched.

"Ready?" Star asked.

Marco nodded.

Marco and Star took deep breaths. "Returnius Marcoius Normalita!"

A white light filled their surroundings.

* * *

"How?"

…

"No one has ever had the willpower to regain control."

…

"Don't think you've won, Diaz. I'll find my way back to you, even if it means—"

The sound of tearing echoed through the ether, along with a feral scream.

* * *

Marco and Star collapsed on his bed. The sky of nothing was replaced with a cloudless, blue sky with the sun shining through. Marco turned over to Star.

"Star, thank you so much for your help. Without you, I probably would've remained as a possessed tentacle monster for the rest of my life. Jeez, I can't even get the taste of seafood out of my mouth." Marco let out a hearty chuckle. "Don't worry Star, I can take it from here. You've got a party you need to throw right now."

"You're right," Star said, pointing the wand back to her head. "I should probably go back to it. See ya subconscious Marco!"

"Wait!" Marco exclaimed, pressing a hand on her shoulder.

Star looked at him.

"Before you go, can you promise something? I can't even pretend to understand how the mind works. But I know, through some lapse of judgement, Marco will probably say or do something stupid, and he'll end up hurting you. And possibly many other people." Marco stared at Star with pleading eyes. "Please don't hold it against him. He didn't mean to."

"I know," Star said, closing her eyes. She held her wand next to her head again. "And don't worry, I promise."

Star fired a hollow beam through his head.

* * *

"Star! Marco!" Mr. Diaz shouted, waving his hand over Star's eyes.

Star struggled to open her heavy eyelids. She groaned as a ray of sunshine hit her retinas, blinding her. Star held an arm over her eyes as she sat up. "What happened?"

"You shot something out of that wand of yours," Jackie said, "then you and Marco conked out for a moment."

"Woah, a moment? That was quick," Star muttered. Her eyes widened as she remembered about Marco. Star grabbed Jackie's collar, shaking her back-and-forth. "Wait, where's Marco?"

"Over here."

Star turned over to see a disheveled Marco lower his arm to the ground. She noticed the colour of his skin had converted back to its original tan. None of the black pigment remained in his eyes. No purple fluid seeped out of his skin. "Marco, how're you feeling?"

"Better," Marco said, looking at his torn clothes. A feeling of relief washed over him when he found his own arms back to normal. "Finally feel like, myself—"

Star pounced on him, wrapping her arms around him. She dug her head into his sticky, torn chest. "Thank you."

Marco chuckled. "Okay, um, you're welcome." He wrapped his own hands around Star. He laid his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes. "Although, I'm not sure what you're thanking me for."

"Don't worry about it." Star made a wry grin.

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz went up to him, collapsing their arms around the unsuspecting Marco. "Oh dios mio, thank goodness you're alright," Mr. Diaz blabbed through her tears. "Marco, why didn't you tell us something was going on?! We would've helped."

Marco remembered the feeling of a prodding iron poking the inside of his eyes the moment he tried to tell Star. Right now, it wasn't important to mention. "You guys seemed busy with party planning, I didn't want to bother."

"Marco, we're your parents," Mrs. Diaz said. "It'd bother us if you _didn't_ tell us what was going on."

"That's right." Grandma Diaz appeared beside Mrs. Diaz with a cane, which she used to knock Marco over the head

Marco tried his best to deflect it, rubbing his bruised head afterwards.

"You scared your Mami and Papi."

"Sorry everyone," Marco said. "I must've done some crazy things the past few days."

"Yeah you did," Ferguson said. "You grabbed one of the sharks and tried to run away with it."

"Yeah, we're not allowed at the Echo Creek Sea place anymore," Alfonso replied.

Marco tilted his head, seemingly uncomfortable after hearing such a thing had taken place. He shrugged it off. "Well, I didn't really like that place anyways."

"You also tried to eat Blake at the skate park today," Jackie said matter-of-factly.

"Really?"

Janna nodded.

"Sorry you had to see me like that," Marco choked out. He looked around the backyard, noticing the damage in front of him. All the food tables were smashed to bits and strewn about. The supposedly massive cake lay on the ground, a frosted mess. In the middle of the backyard, the debris of an already broken piñata settled across the grass, bits of candy and mache mixing together.

"I really screwed up big time, didn't I?" Marco hung his head low. "I'm sorry." Marco closed his eyes, trying his best to look away from everyone. He opened his eyes when he heard the sound of something tearing in the sky.

"Let's get all this junk off the lawn first," Star said, opening up a portal to absorb the debris.

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz walked out, carrying a table with more food on it.

"It's a good thing we prepared backup food," Mrs. Diaz said.

"And while we're at it"—Star swivelled her wand up, summoning a tall, multi-layered cake, towering over the roof of the house—"Let's get a new cake too."

Everyone gathered around Marco as Star lead him to the cake.

"What are you guys doing?" Marco asked with a slacked, narrowed expression.

Star nudged him on the arm. "It's your birthday, dummy! You only get to turn 15 once, right? Let's celebrate it!"

Marco stared at the goliath of a cake in front of him. "Even after everything I've done, you guys are still willing to throw a party?"

Star turned Marco over to her. "Marco, it's okay. It wasn't you who was doing all those things." She looked down on the ground. "Besides, I should've done a better job looking after you."

Marco saw Star rummaging through her bag.

"Oh gosh, where'd the star shard go?" Star widened the one opening on her bag, finding absolutely nothing. "Marco, your gift is gone! I'm so sorry." Star tried to hold back her sobs. "I'm sor—"

Marco rested his hand on Star's shoulder as both of them stared each other straight in the eye. "Don't worry about it, Star. I don't really have a clear idea what happened over the past three days, but I know you probably performed a miracle for my life back."

Marco brought her in closer, embracing her in a hug. Star reciprocated.

"That's probably the best birthday gift I can hope for."

* * *

 **And now Star and Marco can finally rest easy.**

 **It took a while, but this episode is finally done.**

 **I meant to do a scene showing off the birthday party, but I ended up not having time to do so.**

 **Sorry about that. Maybe I'll post an excerpt like that on tumblr or something.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading**


	28. Selfies With The Dead Part 1

**Episode 10: Selfies with the Dead Part 1**

 **Synopsis: Jackie and Janna head towards the cemetery to complete an important task.**

 **Special Thanks to my Betas:**

 **Sabrina06  
PaintedPetrichor**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jackie rolled the analog sticks in circles, watching her character on the screen spin on her skateboard. Jackie poured all her attention to the screen, pressing the analog sticks downwards to create the perfect angle for landing the board.

The character on the screen slammed her face on the concrete.

Jackie sprung up from her beanie. "Land on the skateboard, you—"Jackie trailed off with a string of obscenities.

"Hey," Jackie's mother yelled from downstairs, "no swearing in this house!"

"I wasn't," Jackie shouted back, muttering another swear as the skater on screen slammed into a brick wall.

She led her character downhill, jumping off a conveniently placed ramp up-ahead. "Come on, just land properly for once."

After an hour, the controller had collected enough sweat and moisture to almost slip from her grip. Still, she peered towards the screen, spinning in the air. From the corner of her eye, she saw a meter rise with each revolution she performed in the air. The character on screen was close to the ground as Jackie prepared to land. Jackie clung onto the controller even tighter.

Jackie's thumb slipped from the analog stick.

The character face-planted on the concrete.

Jackie tossed her controller, slamming it into the wall. Surprisingly, it didn't make a dent.

She stomped her way to the television and turned it off. Then she collapsed on her bed with an exasperated sigh.

Jackie turned to the side and found binders strewn about on her desk. She remembered Miss Skullnick assigning some 'easy' homework. Jackie went over to her desk, about to do something inconceivable. Something she rarely ever did: finish Miss Skullnick's homework.

Jackie walked over to her desk, her pencil ready to write. She opened up her binder and found a math worksheet due tomorrow. Jackie stared at the page. All the integral questions blended together into one amorphous mass of numbers, squiggly lines, and _failure_.

 _I think I'll do this later,_ Jackie decided, against her best judgement. Jackie opened one of the drawers under her desk. As soon as she opened it, a stack of unfinished assignments and worksheets greeted her. _I have to do all this work eventually,_ Jackie thought as she placed the math homework in the drawer.

Jackie shrugged. She jumped up, pushing the stack of papers into the pile before closing the drawer. Jackie felt a twinge in the pit of her stomach as she shoved the drawer closed. As she walked away, she turned back and stared at her drawer.

After performing the difficult task of procrastinating, Jackie decided to relax and unwind by lying on her bed and checking various social media updates on her phone. She clicked on the pink bunny icon with the title 'Pictogram' underneath it.

A loading screen appeared, along with a pink bunny mascot running on the bar. It turned to face Jackie. "Have you finished everything you needed to do?" The pink bunny mascot asked. "Remember to do all your work before going on Pictogram™!"

For some odd reason, Jackie felt the compulsion to hit a pink bunny.

The application finally loaded, bringing up pictures of her friends, acquaintances and a stranger or two.

The first picture that came up was a selfie of local Mewnian princess, Star Butterfly. She posed with her usual bight, cheery, effervescent smile, baring her teeth to the camera, along with her signature peace sign pose. _Hiking in the woods with my bestie is always a treat,_ the description underneath the picture read.

Behind Star, Marco was getting mauled by a multi-bear.

Jackie chuckled under her breath before remembering that was Marco getting brutalized in the photo. She stopped laughing. She scrolled down the page.

Jackie stopped scrolling after something familiar caught her eyes. In the center, a paler-than-normal Hope sat up on her bed with a cheery disposition. _Daily feel-good selfie of the day,_ Hope wrote in the description.

Jackie's lips formed a smile as she leaned further back on the back, relaxed. _Glad she's getting better,_ Jackie thought.

She stared at her phone for a moment before she let out a yawn. She didn't even realize she was scrolling through the app. She looked over to the drawer again, filled to the brim with unfinished homework.

Something always enamored Jackie every time she placed something in the drawer. She stared at it, imagining the consequences awaiting her if she doesn't 'empty' it as soon as possible.

A while ago, her mother checked inside the drawer once as Jackie soon found when she got home from school that day. From there, the conversation devolved into a quarrel of exchanging swears and clamoring noise. In fact, their dispute became so noisy and disruptive, Dale was called to his own house by dispatch to break up the argument. Dale even said she should consider herself lucky she got off with a week of chores.

Jackie realized the pile inside the drawer had only grown larger since then, almost filling to the top. At some point, her mother will open the drawer, finding every unfinished sheet of work. She wanted to scream. Jackie considered running away at that moment, never looking back.

Jackie took the key on her desk and made sure she locked it tight. Still, a mounting tension crept behind her, unrelenting.

In her trance, something tapped on her window. Curious, Jackie rolled out of her bed and looked outside, finding a gleeful Janna in the backyard, waiting by some bushes.

"Hey, Jack—"

Jackie shushed her. She pointed downwards to where her parents would be. Jackie brought out her phone, pointing at it.

Janna got the idea, pulling out her own phone. She tapped away on her phone.

Jackie's phone vibrated as Janna's message read, _Come outside, doofus._

 _Why? And where?_ Jackie replied. _And_ _don't tell me we're sneaking into a morgue again._

Janna tilted her head to the side. _Don't worry, we're not. I don't want to make you hide in a pile of freshly dead corpses again._

Jackie remembered that day and shivered at the thought of getting packed in-between a pile of dead corpses. Never again.

 _How about we go to the cemetery?_ Janna texted through the phone.

 _That's not much better,_ Jackie replied. _And besides, why bother going to a cemetery anyway?_

Janna turned her eyes up to the sky, placing some thought into the message before she texted back. _Because dead things are cool, and I want to try something out._

Jackie raised an eyebrow.

 _Also, the cemetery is past your favourite Thai place._ Janna even had the audacity to put a winky smile emoji at the end of the text.

Jackie sighed as she opened the window and leapt into the soft bush underneath. Janna walked over and pulled her up.

"Jackie, Jackie, Jackie," Janna said with a wide, cocky grin. "Such a simple creature with simple tastes—"

Jackie dragged Janna by her arm. "You better not be lying about the Thai food."

* * *

"Jackie, your mom made sundaes," Dale announced as he opened her door. "I brought up a couple—"

Dale found the room empty, devoid of life. From a first glance, he couldn't find her phone; she'd usually leave it lying around her room. He noticed her window was recently opened.

"—scoops." Dale let out a heavy sigh and then he set the bowl on her desk.

* * *

Jackie and Janna had walked down the same sidewalk numerous times over the past several years. The route lead directly towards each others houses. On each side, there was a line of typical, suburban two-story detached houses, all of which they'd seen before.

Even as thick clouds covered the starry sky, Jackie knew her way to Janna's house. She remembered every detail of the path, from the out-of-place 'mansion' squished in between two relatively shoddy town houses to the house with boarded up windows, roof tiles strewn on the ground. Jackie always welcomed the feeling of familiarity. It was something she's grown to cherish ever since she was ripped away from Oregon and forced to live her life in Echo Creek.

Jackie pointed to something peculiar above, something that always bothered her every time she walked down this street. "Why does that guy still have reindeer on his roof and a wreath on his door?" Jackie felt one of her eyes twitch. "It's the middle of May"—Jackie cupped her hands into a makeshift megaphone—"you're six months too early!"

Janna snickered and said, "He's had the x-mas décor since November of last year." Her eyes glazed over the reindeer on the roof. "You think I can sneak off with that reindeer on the roof?"

"Probably, but Dale would probably assemble the entire police force and chase you down the ends of the Earth to get it back," Jackie replied.

"I don't know…" Janna stopped and faced towards the roof with the reindeer. "It'd definitely be worth it though." She began to walk over, before Jackie forcefully turned her around.

"Actually…" Jackie reconsidered for a moment before she snuck a lopsided smile. "Go for it."

Janna shrugged. "Eh, I'll get it sometime later, maybe tomorrow night or something. I need some help from a good ol' pal—"

"No," Jackie stated, "I don't need to get locked in a juvie cell again." She could still feel the cold, sterility of the cell blanket her entire body. "Neither do you."

"But, reindeer," Janna whimpered. She straightened up. "Oh yeah, speaking of reindeer, I saw Justin today."

"What does that have anything to do about rein—"

"He was asking a lot of questions about you," Janna said, "a loooooot of questions."

"Of course he was." Jackie let out another sigh before taking a deep breath. She had gotten over Justin relatively quickly. She had hoped he had too, but his actions said otherwise. "He's not over me, is he?"

"Gratz, Sherlock, you cracked the case," Janna muttered, sticking her chest out for added pompousness. "Excellent deductive reasoning, amazing analysis!"

Jackie glared at her.

Janna turned to face Jackie. "Seriously though, he wouldn't shut up about you. He'd try to sneakily mention you in the most obvious ways possible." She coughed a couple times before she went on. "He'd be like 'isn't Jackie usually around' or 'that math test was something, how'd Jackie do' or 'you have any idea why she hasn't been coming to my study group?'" Janna chuckled as she remembered him hyperventilating because he forgot to give her the proper details.

Meanwhile, Jackie froze as something hit her like an oncoming truck. "Crud, I forgot his study group thing. I promised him I'd come or something."

"Well, that'll make things awkward won't it," Janna said. "You're really good with these things, aren't you?"

"Hey it's not all my fault," Jackie muttered, "it's um… it's uh… stuff comes up you know. Yeah." Jackie scratched the back of her head while she forced a nervous smile.

"Eh, he's your ex, not mine, Jackie," Janna replied. "You can deal with him any way you want. Go ahead and tatter his heart to shreds, that'd be funny."

They arrived at Janna's house. Despite its tinier, more compact space in comparison to the other houses beside it, the exterior of the bungalow exuded a certain rustic charm.

Janna opened up the garage, revealing a fairly beaten-up jeep parked inside.

"Alright, get in," Janna said, searching around her jacket pocket.

"Get in what?"

Janna pulled out some car keys and pressed a button, unlocking the door. "The car, dummy."

 _Of course she would,_ Janna thought to herself. Jackie was no stranger to the inside of Janna's jeep. She had rode inside it multiple times, most of the time without Janna's mother's knowledge or permission. "You'd think Syl would stop leaving the car out in the open like this."

Janna shrugged. "My mom should probably learn to hide they keys better." She opened the driver side door, shoving the keys into the ignition. "Besides, you get to ride shotgun with me, so come on."

"I should really stop you or something." At the very least, Jackie would rather get a ride with Janna than her strung-out wreck of a mother. She got in the passenger side. "But I'm not gonna miss an opportunity to ride shotgun."

"That's the spirit!" As Janna placed her foot on the accelerator, she remembered something absolutely pivotal. She slung her seatbelt over her body, making sure it clicked in. "Jackie, always remember to wear a seatbelt!"

Jackie snickered as she tucked her seatbelt in. "Yes, because even if we're breaking the law by driving underage, putting on a seatbelt should be the first priority before driving someone else's car."

"Exactly!" Janna exclaimed. "Now, vamanos!" Janna shoved her foot on the accelerator. The jeep sped out of the garage and down the driveway.

In the back of the jeep, something shook wildly.

* * *

Janna sped past a red light, two different stop signs, and a cop car with an inattentive cop inside.

Jackie looked over her shoulder, staring at the cop car parked by the side of the road. "How have we not been pulled over yet?"

"I told you, this part of Echo Creek is dead at night." Janna kept her eyes glued to the road. "You have no idea how many times I've done this." Janna whirled the wheel off to the side, barely swerving past an open manhole in the middle of the road.

As the car straightened its path, Jackie pressed herself in her seat, panting for breath. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her head, as in her mind, Jackie prayed to every deity she knew. Janna refused to slow down.

Janna narrowly dodged an oncoming tree, bumping both girls' heads on the car roof, making an audible thud. Jackie rubbed the top of her head.

"You alright Jackie?" Janna asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Jackie tried to maintain a laid-back bravado as everything outside seemed to flash by. She couldn't tell if they were people or signs. She hoped Janna didn't hit either things. Jackie recognized a restaurant sign as they zoomed down the street.

"Janna, you just passed the Thai place," Jackie said. "It was right there."

"Yeah, I know," Janna replied ingenuously, "cemetery first, alright."

"But you said—"

"I never said where we're going to first." Janna made a wry, devious smile.

Jackie pouted, wearing a stony expression on her face.

"Don't worry Jackie, it won't take that long at all." When she saw the tombstones beside her, Janna parked the car in front of the gates. "And it'll be relatively safe as well." Both girls hopped out of the jeep. Janna opened the back door, grabbing something inside. She tossed Jackie a BB gun, which Jackie caught it with both hands.

Jackie stared at the shotgun in her hands. "I thought you just said whatever we're doing was safe."

"It should be," Janna said, lingering on her words, "but, you never know. And it's not just any ordinary BB gun—"

Jackie fired a shot into the air, releasing a solid stream of rainbow into the night sky. "Woah…" Jackie's jaw begun to slack, watching all the colours in the air intermingle. "Where'd you get this?"

"Star wanted to give it to you," Janna said, "but she couldn't find you, so she asked me to give it to you. To be honest, I wasn't sure what it fired, but it'll serve us well." Janna walked over to the gates and began to climb up. "Come on, Jackie. The dead aren't going to raise themselves."

Jackie tossed her BB over and started to climb the gates. "Wait, what are we doing here again?"

"I'll explain on the way."

Back in the jeep, something crawled out, moaning quietly.

* * *

Using the camera flash on Janna's phone as a makeshift flashlight, Jackie and Janna traversed through the tombstone-laden ground, trying their best to not trip over anything sticking out from the ground.

"Alright, so go on, what the heck are we doing in a cemetery now?" Jackie asked. "And we better not be digging up corpses again."

"We won't," Janna replied, pulling out a piece of paper. "Because if this ritual works, the corpses will just dig themselves out of their graves."

Jackie rolled her eyes in a circle. "Oh jeez, are we gonna—"

"Yup, we're raising some dead tonight." Janna turned around and walked backwards, while displaying the page to Jackie. "Star ripped this page out from her book. It goes in-depth about the specifics of turning the corpses into zombies."

A shrub next to a nearby tombstone rustled.

Jackie stared at the page. There were images of eagle feathers and decayed skulls, among other things, as well as illegible chicken scratch, presumably detailing the steps. Despite the absurdity of it, Jackie decided to stick with Janna in the cemetery. "You know, after the four-hundredth time you tried to raise the dead, I thought you'd given up on it."

"Hey, I'm winning that bet one way or another," Janna muttered. "Hope better be shelling out that hundred bucks pretty soon."

Jackie tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "You made that bet with Hope seven years ago. It's definitely taking you a long time to finish this bet."

A faint growl echoed through the air, although neither Jackie nor Janna paid any attention.

"With Star's help, I can finally win it"—Janna blew on the page, wiping off the bits of dust still resting on top of the page—"apparently she tested this herself; said it was foolproof."

"Better not work _too_ well," Jackie said, circling her head for a better examination of her surroundings. The lines of tombstones seemed to stretch all the way to the edge of Echo Creek. "I prefer mortality anyways."

"That's why you have a BB, Jackie."

Jackie cocked the BB back, making an audible click.

"This place is totally empty," Janna said.

Jackie gave an affirmative nod.

"Or so it seems." Janna walked around with an air of awareness, as she looked both ways in front of her. "Now would be the perfect time for something to pop up—"

Jackie heard the sound of scratching dirt as she kept walking forwards.

"—something to come out of nowhere, waiting for the perfect time—"

From one of the trees, all the crows and owls scurried out, wailing against the quiet night sky.

"—to pounce!"

A screech shot in the air. Jackie flinched and fired a stream of rainbows in the air. Janna turned around as well, recognizing a black mass that seemed to drag itself along the ground. Jackie fired flurries of rainbows as she whimpered back from the unidentifiable creature.

"Jackie, Jackie, stop," Janna ordered, pushing the gun away from it. "It's okay." She went down on one knee, cupping her hands together as the thing crawled its way towards her. Janna cradled it, stroking along the top of it. The creature moaned quietly. "It's harmless." She held it over to Jackie. "Come on, pet it."

Jackie hesitated before she prodded the thing with her index finger. Despite its hairless appearance, Jackie felt something furry bushing against her finger. "What is it?"

"No idea," Janna replied, squishing her face against the black mass. When she pulled it away, a string of green sludge connected the two as the black mass seemed to moan in delight. "I call it Fuzzy the Amorphous Oven Monster."

"Oven Monster?"

"Yeah. Star showed me a little recipe to bake life out of baking soda and pixie dust," Janna wiped the gunk off her face. "Mix some baking soda and pixie dust with some wheat and you can make a little monster fresh from the oven." Janna stared at the black, charred mass in her hands. "Although, I might've overcooked him."

Jackie leaned back, stammering as Fuzzy leapt towards her neck and latched onto it. Jackie didn't feel anything sink deep into her neck. In fact, as Fuzzy nibbled on the side of her neck, tension seemed to float away from Jackie's body. "Hey, this little thing ain't half-bad."

"See, told ya it was harmless," Janna said, flashing a smile.

* * *

 **If any of you have followed my tumblr, you might have seen a post about the episode listing for this story. I'm probably gonna deviate from it multiple times. Hell, with something important coming up in this story, it might go past the original 26 episodes.**

 **Sorry about that.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review if you wish.**

 **See ya!**


	29. Selfies With The Dead Part 2

**Kept you waiting, huh?**

 **Episode 10: Selfies with the Dead Part 2**

 **Synopsis: Jackie and Janna head towards the cemetery to complete an important task.**

 **Special Thanks to my Betas:**

 **Sabrina06  
PaintedPetrichor**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Fuzzy nestled on Jackie's shoulder. Jackie didn't mind the company at all, welcoming it by brushing her hand along its head. Fuzzy cooed, emitting a sound like a combination of a feline-like purr and a primal, guttural roar.

"I'm not sure how it got itself here," Janna said. "Anyways, my mom didn't want it in the house, so I kept it hidden in some bushes by the house." Janna kept her camera light pointed in front of her. "It's almost been… two weeks now since I baked it."

The tension in Jackie's shoulders seemed to dissipate as they kept walking. Jackie checked on Fuzzy and noticed it was gnawing on her shoulder.

"I've tried feeding it breadcrumbs, chips, and fruit, but it doesn't even touch them. It just slithers away, doing some weird screech thing and I spend all afternoon chasing it down."

When Fuzzy's slurping noises grew louder, Jackie gritted her teeth and peeled it off her shoulder, setting it beside her on the ground. She looked over her neck, pleasantly surprised it hadn't left a mark. It stared up towards Jackie, moaning quietly. Finally, it went off and skittered around the tombstones laying throughout the field.

Jackie reached out for the amorphous blob as it slid further away from her.

"Eh, don't worry about him, it'll find its way back. Surprisingly, it always does. Maybe it's one of photo-symbiotic things that gets food from the sun," Janna considered.

"You mean photo-synthetic?" Jackie asked.

Janna shrugged. "I don't know, I'm not passing bio. Speaking of biology…" Janna darted her eyes upwards toward the night sky. "What do you think the insides of these zombies are gonna look like?"

"You've seen zombie movies before, that should be pretty obvious," Jackie replied. "Decaying, rotting flesh, visible internal organs, maybe those kind of dead, pupil-less eyes. You know, typical horror stuff. I think the movies give a pretty accurate picture, Janna."

"Hey, we've never seen one face-to-face before, so you never know, it could be different." Janna vaulted over one of the tombstones. She was fairly certain she was disrespecting the deceased by doing so, but Janna had her own priorities. "Maybe there's absolutely nothing inside except for a skeleton. Or maybe there'll be some sort of 'zombie organ' unique to them, and it'll probably secrete something thick and gross."

"Zombies are just reanimated humans, not monsters. I don't think they'll be much different, apart from the groaning."

"Well, let's find out then, shall we?" Janna inquired. "Tonight, we have to do everything we can to raise some dead."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Even if we set off a zombie uprising in Echo Creek?"

"Totally. Besides, I've already set up some precautionary measures in case these zombies get out of hand."

"You mean putting Star's number on speed dial?"

"No," Janna replied, staring at her friend, looking cross. "Rainbow-blasting shotgun and a steel pipe or something will do just fine."

"If you say so…" Jackie pulled out her phone, pulling up Star's number just in case. She wrinkled the side of her nose as something gnawed at her in her head. "So how's this 'raising the dead' business gonna work? Do you need me to help you with some ritualistic dance? Do you need to set me on fire or something?" Jackie pressed her hand on the side of her stomach. "Need a kidney?"

"No, no, I don't need your organs," Janna replied. "But…" Janna pulled an eagle-feathered headpiece out of her pocket.

"How did you fit that in—"

Janna slammed the headpiece on top of Jackie's head. "… I'll need you to put this on for the rest of the night."

"Why do I have to put on this tacky hat thing?" Jackie asked as she shifted the headpiece around. "And where did you even get it from?"

Janna shrugged. "Star said something about how Mewnians experimented with so many kinds of objects to find more efficient ways of bringing the dead back to life." Janna caught a feather as it floated down. "Apparently, enchanted eagle feathers seemed to be the most powerful. Or like, the most capable of making a dead person functional."

"Mhm," Jackie muttered. "Okay, I'll take your word for it." A few feathers dropped down to the ground.

"Careful, Star said those feathers were precious," Janna said. "Try not to lose too many."

Jackie pulled out her phone and turned it on, using the front-facing camera as a makeshift mirror. A few feathers from the headpiece fluttered down in front of her eyes. She tilted her head off to the side, straightening it. "This doesn't look half bad, to be honest." Jackie shifted the headpiece around, inadvertently massaging the top of her head. "Pretty comfy too.

Janna peered to the side towards Jackie. "Stand up straight for me."

Jackie complied, erecting herself tall, eagle feathers strewn about her head.

Janna leaned in closer, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, it looks really good on you, surprisingly. Like a true native." Janna walked forwards as Jackie scurried behind. "Give it back at the end of the night, though."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jackie said, playing around with the feathers. "So, what exactly do you need me to do?"

Janna stared at the page again. "You'll see."

* * *

Janna had her eyes glued to the page. She examined the crude drawing of the woman. In the picture, the woman held both arms out to her sides. The woman also brought her right leg up, holding it on the side of her other leg, balancing on one foot.

"Hmm." Janna planted a hand on her chin as she examined the woman on the page. "It looks right…"

"How long do I have to hold this pose?"

Janna looked up from the page and saw Jackie standing next to a tombstone, headpiece intact. Jackie had her arms held out to the side while balancing on one foot.

"As soon as I figure out how this ritual actually works," Janna replied, skimming through the text.

"Awh…" Jackie whined while she pouted.

"Don't worry, it won't be long," Janna said as she constantly had to move the page back-and-forth to properly read the illegible chicken scratch. "Just, keep balancing, you're doing a great job."

Jackie felt the cool, airy breeze of the night blow over her extended, exposed arms as she effortlessly balanced on her one standing foot. _The yoga definitely paid off now,_ Jackie thought to herself. Jackie took one deep breath in, and then she exhaled the next. A feather fell over her eyes. "Jeez, I feel like a scarecrow right now."

Janna shrugged. "I'm not the one who made up this ritual."

"Why does it feel like you did, though?" Jackie asked.

"Hey, I wouldn't put stupid ceremonial headpieces in my rituals," Janna claimed. "A simple phrase would do." Through the chicken scratch, some legible, pronounceable words shone through. "Oh, speaking of phrases, keep that pose for just a little longer. Close your eyes, too."

Jackie rolled her eyes before her eyelids shut them. Her surroundings turned black. "Whatever you say, J." A chill struck her back as Janna howled a foreign, haunting chant into the air. Something flashed underneath her, piercing through her closed eyes. She opened her eyes and noticed the entire cemetery covered in a thick, oppressive fog. Jackie tilted her head downwards and saw the ground she was standing on emitting a white light.

"Whoa," Jackie muttered, stepping off to the side of the glow. "Janna, what the heck did you do?"

Jackie didn't hear a response.

"Janna?" Jackie yelled. Jackie picked up her weapon up off the ground and prowled through the plot of tombstones and death, putting an arm over her eyes as the fog thickened, becoming impossible to look through. "Janna?" Through the fog, Jackie saw a shadow scurry by. She waited for a moment. "Janna!"

Jackie fired a rainbow up in the air. The rainbow kept flying upwards as it disappeared into the fog. Jackie looked up to the spot where she fired, only to see nothing. "Janna…" She meekly whispered to herself.

A shadow dashed in front of her. Jackie fired a rainbow in front, grazing it on the side as it pounced over on top of her. At that moment, all the fog cleared up. Jackie stared up, pointing her shotgun at a heaving Janna.

Janna held a steel pipe near the back of her head, ready to swing.

"Oh." Jackie set her BB down the ground. "There you are."

"Yeah, I was looking all over for you," Janna said.

A few moments passed and Janna was still on top of Jackie. Janna still had a pipe ready to be swung.

Jackie cleared her throat. "Uh, Janna, can you—"

"Oh, right, right, sorry about that." Janna scooted over to the side, letting Jackie sit up properly.

Jackie rubbed the back of her tender head. "What the heck just happened?"

"I have no idea, girl." Janna pulled out the page, tapping it. "I saw a bit of light and then all of a sudden, this fog just comes up out of nowhere. I just picked up the closest thing to a blunt object and just tried to find you as fast as I could."

Out from one of the tombstones, Fuzzy slithered towards Jackie and Janna, making a coughing noise along the way.

"Oh, hey there, Fuzzy," Janna greeted it. "See, told ya he'd come back."

Fuzzy sputtered out a black, viscous fluid from its topside, landing on Janna's coat. Janna pulled it over for a closer inspection. "Gross," Janna said with a chuckle.

* * *

Fuzzy kept coughing out some form of viscous, opaque black fluid, spilling onto the ground. The amorphous mass bellowed out pained choking in place of its quiet, guttural moaning.

Jackie leaned in closer, hesitating for a moment before resting her hand on Fuzzy to pet it. Next thing she knew, Fuzzy aimed for her and hacked out more goop towards her open hand. Jackie reeled back immediately, cringing a bit.

"Janna, I think something's wrong with Fuzzy," Jackie stated, matter-of-factly. "We should, probably help him or something."

Janna looked over to Fuzzy before turning back to the page. "Pfft, don't worry about it. He does that a lot."

"You mean coughing out death?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah." Janna had her eyes glued on the text, unwilling to bat an eye for anything else. "Every once in a while, he likes to start coughing like that. He's done it like… two, three times now, and after every fit, he goes back to normal."

Fuzzy spurted out a massive blob of the black fluid onto one of the tombstones.

"Well, as normal as an amorphous black blob can be," Janna clarified.

After spending a few moments constantly shifting her arm back-and-forth, Jackie finally set a hand down on Fuzzy and rubbed the top of its head. "Eh, if you say so."

Janna tossed the headpiece over to Jackie. "Put it back on, we're gonna do the thing again."

Jackie rolled her eyes as she picked up the feather-laden headpiece and planted it on her head. "Figured out what was up with the fog last time?" Jackie asked, readjusting the feathers.

"Nope, not a clue." Janna skimmed through the transcript written on the page multiple times. "Close your eyes, Jackie."

Jackie held her arms out to the sides and closed her eyes.

Janna cleared her throat. _"Evisa miaortia valentia!"_ Janna saw the ground underneath her friend emit a white glow. "Okay, that seems to work. _Morphus, aletheia, domovoi!"_ The light underneath Jackie rose from the ground and swirled around her body.

 _"Ressurecto, maledina, cassa…"_ Janna squinted her eyes at the page. _"C-rassa… c-ratsa…_ oh!" Janna slammed the palm of her hand on her forehead. "I think I mispronounced this word last time. _Ressurecto, maledina, crazavoi!"_

"Okay, I'm curious," Jackie said, opening her eyes. "What exactly is going—" The beam of light surged inside her open mouth, pouring inside her. Jackie bellowed out pained, choking grunts.

Janna rustled the page, trembling as the light wouldn't stop surging. _"Elisio, marsagur, DESTINIA!"_

As the ground trembled beneath her, Janna watched as Jackie rose into the sky, light piercing through her body. Janna held her arm over her eyes as she trudged closer to her friend. In a heartbeat, Jackie fired the white beams in front of Janna.

For a moment, all she could see was white.

* * *

When Janna came to, she found herself lying on the ground next to dazed, moaning Jackie. Janna sat up, rubbing the top of her throbbing forehead.

"You alright, J?" Janna asked.

Jackie pulled herself up, fighting against the headache pulsating through her head. "Yeah, I'm fine." A searing sensation shot through her eye. Jackie pressed a hand on it. "Jeez, what did you do this time?"

"Again, no idea," Janna replied, "but some light shot out of your body. It was pretty cool." Janna looked around the cemetery, finding no zombies anywhere. She pulled up the page again for closer inspection. "See any zombies, Jackie?"

Jackie peeked around, only to find Fuzzy coughing on her shoe. She pulled her foot back. "Nope. Nothing I can see at least."

"Hmm." Janna scrunched up the page into a ball and tossed it behind. "What a tease."

Just as the scrunched-up page was about to land on the ground, a bony, rotting arm rose from the ground and caught it in the air.

Jackie caught a glimpse of the hand from the corner of her eye. "Janna," she said, prodding Janna on the back.

Janna turned around, watching the arm emerge from the ground and revealing more of itself. Janna saw the top of its head crack through the ground. "Woah," Janna said, pulling out her phone.

Meanwhile, Jackie cocked the rainbow BB, ready to fire.

From the ground came a lean, lanky greenish figure with eyes emitting a yellow-green glow. It crawled on all fours towards the two girls, bellowing deep, heavy grunts that echoed in the graveyard.

Jackie tilted her head to the side, a bit bewildered. "Well, what do ya know? It actually worked."

Janna preoccupied herself by taking pictures of the lumbering monstrosity on her camera phone. "This is so going on Pictogram™." She took one more photo before taking a closer look at the oncoming zombie. Years of decay and neglect seemed to rot away most of its flesh, leaving only its skeletal frame intact. Torn, ragged shirts and pants covered its body. The zombie lacked any hair at all. Janna frowned when she noticed none of its organs were present whatsoever.

As Janna pulled up her phone to take another picture, a rotten hand swiped it away from her. "Hey!" Janna whined. A rainbow grazed over her head, striking straight on the zombie's head. The skull imploded in a burst of bright, wonderful shades of blue and pink as the zombie dropped on its back. Janna turned around and saw Jackie setting the smoldering BB down as she sauntered towards her. Fuzzy followed suit, still coughing about.

"You're welcome."

Janna turned around and saw the smoke rising from where its head used to be. Janna's lips formed a slight frown. "Did you really have to blow its head off?"

"Well, better that than you getting your head chomped off by a zombie, right?" Jackie asked.

Janna shrugged. "I guess. Still would've been nice to try to keep it alive."

Jackie snickered under her breath. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind next time." Jackie darted her eyes over to the side and noticed Janna's phone further away. "Get your phone, it's over there." Jackie pointed the way.

"Aight," Janna acknowledged, walking over to her phone. A rotting scent wafted through the air, making her gag momentarily, but she continued to trek towards her cellphone. Janna turned towards Jackie and asked, "You smell that?"

Jackie took a single sniff, before the rotting scent struck her hard. "Yup." Jackie nodded.

Janna pulled the top part of her sweater over her nose as she bent down to pick up her phone. She stared at the cracked mess on the touch screen. She tapped the power button, but nothing showed up. "Awh jeez, the zombie broke it. I think I still have warranty tho—"

A hand rushed out of the ground. It clasped onto Janna's wrist.

Janna squealed and stomped on the skull rising from the ground. She kept trampling the ground until she noticed a sizeable opening where the skull was situated, as well as some white dust.

"The heck's going on?" Jackie asked, walking up to her.

Janna looked towards Jackie, pulling out the skeletal arm still grabbing on to her wrist. "Eh, don't worry about it, it's probably nothing honestly

Skeletal, rotting hands shot out of the mounds throughout the graveyard. One by one, decrepit corpses rose from the ground, making their way towards the two girls.

"Think we can handle a horde?" Janna wondered aloud, feeling around for something blunt.

"No need." Jackie couldn't help but sneak a slight, sneering grin towards Janna. "This is exactly why I put Star's number on speed dial." Jackie tapped a button on screen, calling Star. She watched the horde lumber their way towards them. She placed the phone next to her ear, listening to the dial tone ring. And then there was silence.

"Oh crap." Jackie pulled the phone towards her eyes and stared a black screen. She pouted. "Why do I keep forgetting to charge my phone?"

"Well, you know, that's a shame." Janna picked up a steel pipe up off the ground. "Hey, at least it can't get any worse."

From a distance, a black light glowed. A goliath of a hand sprung from the ground. It slammed its own fist down, emitting an aftershock throughout the cemetery.

Janna's eyes bulged out of its sockets. "You know what, I think I'll just keep my mouth shut for now."

* * *

Jackie took the first shot and fired a rainbow through a conga-line of zombies. A hole bore through them all, tumbling them to the ground.

"That's a promising start," Janna remarked.

More decrepit hands popped up from the ground.

"Did you ask Star if the zombies ever stop coming out of the ground?"

"I forgot to ask." Janna caught something from the corner of her eye. "Oh crud, behind you." Janna spun around and swung her pipe along, knocking a zombie skull off. The corpse dropped to the ground flat on his back; Janna frowned when nothing spurted out its neck. Janna swung again. "Why you ask?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Jackie pouted while a zombie skull disintegrated in a bright-pink blast. "Personally, I don't want to spend more than thirty minutes zombie hunting."

"Come on Jackie," Janna assured, "let's have some fun!" Janna charged towards the zombies on the other side. She bellowed out a violent wail as she sprinted.

Jackie shuffled backwards, disintegrating every decayed body rushing for her. Peering down on the ground, Jackie found more zombie arms bursting forth. The air filled with their guttural roars as she started feeling light-headed, and her vision blurred. She blinked. When everything cleared up, she found one of the zombies in front of her, arms up in the air. Jackie barely managed a yelp as it swung its arms down.

Janna flailed her pipe as she ran down the line. A few swings managed to connect, knocking a few unaware zombies off to the side.

Janna leapt up high in the air, bringing the pipe over the back of her head. Underneath, the zombie looked up, only for Janna to smash the pipe over its unsuspecting head. At first, the pipe dented the top of its head, leaving a bit of a crater as Janna bore down its head, hard. Bits of white dust flew off the zombie's skull. It dropped to its knees before it dropped to the ground, unresponsive.

Janna took a moment to wipe some of the dust off her sweater. "Jeez, these guys are so fragile, it's adorable," Janna said. "How ya holdin' up, Jackie?"

Jackie tumbled to the side as the zombie's arms struck the tombstone instead. A single rainbow cleaved the zombie in two. "Oh, you know, could be worse." Jackie's eyes widened when she saw the goliath of a zombie charging her.

"Glad you're having fun, J." Janna turned her attention to a lone zombie in front of her. A greenish fluid seeped out of its mouth. Janna cleared her throat and said, "Heya handsome, come here often?" The zombie screamed in front of her, spewing the fluid over her face. Janna smacked in on the side. "I'll take that as a yes?" Janna stomped on the skull, shattering it for good measure. "

Jackie shrieked as she fired at the rushing behemoth. Every rainbow seemed to get absorbed by its massive body. Before she knew it, a strike from the brunt of its arm shot her over to a nearby tree. Her back slammed into the tree. Jackie's eyes flew open as she slid down the trunk.

"Aren't you a cutie," Janna said, thrashing the zombie in front of her to pieces. "Well, not so much any—"

A massive arm knocked Janna over to the nearby tree. Janna slid down the bark and plopped right on top of Jackie, sitting on her back. "Ow," Janna coughed out, feeling quite winded before she noticed Jackie underneath her. She shifted to the side, letting Jackie get up.

Jackie didn't fare much better, arms wobbling as she struggled to bring herself up. "Okay, I don't think I'm okay." Jackie coughed onto the barren ground. "Nope, not at all." Jackie rubbed her eyes and saw the horde approaching them.

Janna pushed herself back up, fighting against her aching back. "I think we still got this."

The goliath chucked one of the zombies over to the girls. Jackie disintegrated the zombie with a rainbow. Jackie clicked the trigger again as the BB only discharged pathetic spurts of colour. She stared at the barrel, watching a bit of rainbow drip out. Jackie chuckled to herself, coughing intermittently.

"Wanna make a beeline for the jeep?" Jackie pleaded.

Off to the side, Janna heard a growling roar and some moist, wet squelches. Janna turned over and watched Fuzzy slithering over a zombie. Fuzzy's skin stretched until it covered the entire zombie. In an instant, Fuzzy snapped to its original diminutive size as a squelching noise echoed through the graveyard.

"I don't think we need to Jackie," Janna said, "I think I found what Fuzzy likes to eat."

Fuzzy slithered through the desolate graveyard, over the dilapidated tombstones, howling louder than the horde. Jackie and Janna watched, mouths gaped open, as Fuzzy systematically devoured each zombie, one at a time.

The goliath bent down and roared in front of Fuzzy, baring its teeth. Fuzzy howled back and opened wide. The amorphous blob absorbed the zombie into its body. A large lump flowed down Fuzzy's body as the colours of rainbows shone through the black mass.

It wasn't long before Janna picked her friend up, escorting her through the graveyard. They made it to Fuzzy as it finished consuming the last of the zombies.

"That's one way of stopping a zombie uprising," Jackie said.

Janna knelt down, placing her hand on top of Fuzzy, giving it a good rub. "I don't care what my mom says, I'm keeping this furry little fur ball."

Fuzzy coughed out bone fragments onto the ground.

Janna chortled and said, "Gross."

Fuzzy coughed again, this time spewing out something else entirely. After gushing out a bit more trickles of black fluid, Fuzzy made a sound similar to a relieved sigh and rolled over on its top. Jackie and Janna looked down and noticed something glassy roll about on the ground.

"Looks like it's been choking on some glass, or something," Jackie said, bending down to pick it up. "Poor thing. It's alright now, it's out now." Jackie grabbed onto the object, bringing it up for a closer inspection. It seemed to be some form of glassy cone, with ridges along the sides. As Jackie kept staring at the glass object, a chill struck her from behind. Jackie started shivering fervently.

Janna peered over to her friend. "You alright, Jackie?" She asked, placing a hand along Jackie's shoulders. For a moment, Janna swore her skin felt colder than normal.

Swallowing, Jackie looked up to Janna with a forced grin. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Let's uh, I just feel like, going home now, if you don't mind. Let's skip Thai…"

Janna carried her best friend to the jeep.

* * *

 **Later**

Jackie woke up to find herself alone, standing on nothing in a surrounding filled with nothing. She let out a desperate, irritated sigh.

"Oh jeez, not again." She muttered to herself. Jackie kept walking forwards. It was impossible to tell where she was going, or if she was going anywhere. However, Jackie didn't want to know what could happen if she were to stop. "Janna! Where are you?"

No response.

"You here, J!?" Jackie screeched, her voice echoing through the nothing.

"Please keep it down, we're trying to get some much needed."

Up above, an orange spotlight glared down on her. Jackie crossed her arms to block the beams. When she looked up, she saw a weird set of eyes looking down on her; six orange, horizontally-lined slits, in three rows of two. They scrunched together as Jackie backed away, holding her hands up.

 _The heck?_ Jackie couldn't keep her eyes off the orange beams.

"Hello."

Jackie heard something speak to her, but no matter where she looked, she couldn't find the source. Despite her limbs shaking fervently, she raised her arms up, fists ready.

"You are Jackie Lynn Thomas. And you are intruding in our very own prison."

 _Prison? The heck are you talking about,_ Jackie wondered.

"A prison. A construct from which we cannot escape. The very place we are sealed inside. It isn't a complicated concept to understand."

Jackie kept stepping back, away from the floating eyes above her. But no matter what, the eyes kept the same distance between them, despite the eyes never seeming to move. "Who… are you?" Jackie whispered.

"Don't be afraid to speak up, young one. It's been so long since we've had a visitor. Talk to us."

"Who are you?" Jackie asked, voice raised.

"We are the mind of one thousand, inside a singular construct." The eyes disappeared from the sky. They rematerialized right in front of Jackie's face in a puff of smoke, startling the girl to the ground. The world began to shatter into floating pieces. "We have met before. But we must be unrecognizable in our current state."

In an instant, Jackie found herself inside the school cafeteria. In front of her, a flustered Marco stood still as Janna and Hope caressed the tentacle in-place of his arm.

"Perhaps this will make you remember."

"I want it to be my boyfriend!" Janna exclaimed.

"Me too!" Hope squealed.

Jackie held her hand out. "High five."

When Marco's tentacle struck her palm, her surroundings cracked open again. In one fell swoop, the world shattered into nothing. For a moment, Jackie saw nothing.

When she came too, Jackie found herself walking down a path leading nowhere. Tentacles sprouted up from the ground on each side.

"On the day before, in a brazen attempt to fix Marco's arm, Star accidentally casts a spell that ripped one of our consciousnesses away from us and morphed it into a tentacle. That was the being you called, 'Monster Arm'."

A fire swashed through the black, empty space above her. Jackie held her arm over her eyes, feeling the intense heat press down on her. The fires surged through the air as they began to form a single image. From the fire, formed the six eyes, formatted two in a row. Beneath the eyes, the fires formed many kinds of figures, some humanoid, most of them alien; all of them seem to bow down in front of the eyes.

"However, we've been alive for a long time. Many other civilizations have called me by many different things. The most common name that appears the most has to be _Rael'Kath. The one that_ _consumes all._ "

In an instant, all the fiery figures trudged towards the eyes, disappearing into the roaring flames. The fires above her cleared up as everything turned white once more. Jackie found herself where she started.

"Well, that answers that." Tentacles shot out from above her, stopping just in front of her. "Now it's our turn to ask something. How did you find yourself here?"

Jackie tried to speak, only for her throat to close up. "Um…"

"We're not angry, we're just curious. Please, tell us."

"Look dude, I have no idea, okay," Jackie whimpered out. "The black blob thing coughed out this glass shard thing and I just went up to it and picked it up. Then, if I recall correctly, we went home, I tossed the shard on my bed stand and then I tried to get some sleep. Now I'm here in the middle of nowhere, talking to some eldritch abomination. Or I've just completely lost my mind."

For a moment, nobody spoke a word.

"Did you just say a glass shard?" Jackie felt the ground beneath her shake fervently. Underground, the sound of clamoring rocks grinding against each other echoed throughout the surroundings. As Jackie struggled to keep herself balanced, something rose from the ground. "Something like this?"

Jackie walked up to it for a closer examination. In front of her, lay a glassy object, shaped like a cone. Jackie rested her hand on the top of the shard, feeling the smooth surface.

"Is it?"

Jackie looked up to the sky and nodded.

"Hmm. Then it must be true. The game must have already started."

"Wha…" Jackie raised an eyebrow before a flash of light blinded her. She couldn't feel anything underneath her feet. She felt her surroundings, only to find nothing. Nothing except the pitch black darkness.

"It's been so long. Eons really. We don't remember the objectives or the win conditions."

Four fireballs ignited out of thin air, surrounding Jackie.

"We do remember, however, that there are four players in this game."

One fire formed into the shape of a wand. Jackie recognized the star insignia and patterns on the base of the wand. The flames morphed into a shade of blue before it diminished

"The wand bearer."

Another fire took the shape of a familiar hoodie. The fire rose up to the air, dematerializing into a red puff.

"Their companion."

A crown emerged from the next fireball before disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

"The mad king."

Finally, the final fireball materialized into a stopwatch with the second-hand ticking backwards. Jackie noticed a scaly hand missing its ring finger holding the watch. The flames petered out into a grey smoke.

"And the vizier."

Jackie stared blankly into the empty, hollow surrounding, pursing her lips tight as she tried to make sense of everything. "How do you even play this game?"

The eyes popped up in front her face, startling her. "That's for the players to find out, not you. Your task is simple: figure out where you stand in this little competition."

The galaxy zoomed past Jackie. All the stars, comets and planets whizzed by as she sped through the infinite space. As she was about to scream, Jackie took a deep breath instead and closed her eyes. She paid no mind to the stardust and rocks flying past. She opened her eyes and found herself floating above Earth's atmosphere

"The players' choices in this game have an impact to the millions of lives in the universe. It is up to you if you want to help any of them along, or if you just want to be a bystander. Either way…"

Everything disappeared, fading from existence. Jackie began to fall. She wanted to scream. But nothing came out.

"… _I'm_ not entirely sure there will be any winners."

* * *

"How do I keep losing it?"

Hiding inside some thick shrubs, someone peered out, staring out towards one of the houses. Through an uncovered window on the top floor, he saw something glassy resting on the bed stand.

"Ah good." He let out a sigh of relief. "Found it."

* * *

 **I guess I have quite a bit to explain. It's been a while since I've posted something for A Season of Star Vs. After I posted the previous chapter, I had an entire week of exams I had to study for , so I didn't have time to write anything significant. And when I came back to writing, it was super difficult for some reason to get back into. It took quite a bit of recouperating and practice to get back to writing something for ASOSV. But I think I've written up something hopefully satisfactory. I hope you enjoyed.**

 **Here's to a good 2016!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	30. Marco and Star Join a Cult Part 1

**I'm sorry these keep taking a while to make. Considering I have an even harder semester this time around, the wait between chapters might even be longer. Sorry.**

 **Episode 11: Marco and Star Join a Cult Part 1**

 **Synopsis: A mysterious man from another dimension starts gathering the people of Echo Creek to follow and worship Rael'Kath, 'The Glorious Abomination Under The Sea'. When more and more people begin to follow his teachings and just start acting strange in general, Marco and Star investigate his Cult.**

 **Special Thanks to my Beta:**

 **Sabrina06  
**

 **Credit to Kprovido for the cover art**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jackie hustled down the pitch-black, beaten path, running faster and faster as she felt the presence of something insidious behind her creep closer towards her.

It was pointless to look back. Jackie couldn't see it anyways.

"Keep running, I like a good chase."

Jackie kept facing forward, trying to find anything. An exit, a ray of light, anything. Her legs ached and burned, making every single stride painful. But she didn't want to think about what would happen if she stopped.

"Don't think of this as a nightmare. Think of it as a metaphor."

As Jackie held an arm outwards, the ground collapsed beneath her. Jackie plummeted downwards, deep in the bottomless abyss.

Something sparkled at the bottom.

Jackie opened her eyes, letting out a loud yelp before she tumbled out of her bed and slammed onto the ground. For a moment, everything above her blurred together into a combined visual pile of stuff. She placed a hand on her throbbing, flaring forehead, feeling the moist beads of sweat slathered on her forehead. When her surroundings cleared up, she found herself lying on her back, staring at her ceiling, desperately gasping for air. She slammed her hand to her forehead.

"Oh my god, that was the third night in a row now," Jackie mumbled to herself. She flailed her arm around until she had a decent grasp of her bed. With every last bit of strength that hasn't been used up by exhaustion, Jackie pushed up from the ground, forcing herself up on her two legs. She stumbled around a bit as she struggled to stand still. Jackie clasped on her dresser for support.

Intent on doing something productive today, Jackie limped over to her closet. She noticed she didn't have to wade through piles of clothes strewn on the floor. Jackie made a mental note to thank her mother for once.

Jackie opened the closet. A mass of tentacle fluttered out and reached out towards her. Jackie slammed the closet closed.

"Never mind," Jackie muttered to herself.

She looked over to her night stand and saw the glass shard, resting on top. The shard hadn't budged for the past three days. It laid on the night stand, taunting her. Jackie grimaced, gritting her teeth. Fazed, she turned away from the night stand and collapsed on her bed. Jackie pressed both of her hands on her eyes, wiping them while groaning.

"Taking the day off again, Jackie?"

Jackie looked over to the door and saw Officer Cordry, walking over.

"Do I look like I'm in any condition to go out, Eddie?" Jackie hissed out. Feeling something ready to escape, Jackie flung her forearm over her mouth and sneezed into it. When she pulled her head back, she saw a line of green, viscous phlegm still connected to her nose, stuck to her arm. Jackie pulled her arm away , snapping it off. "Ew…"

Cordry snickered a little. "I guess not." Cordry picked up a box of tissues from her desk and bought them over to the sniveling, shaking pile curled up in bed. "Take one."

Jackie pulled a couple tissues from the box and said, "Thanks." She rubbed them along her arm. "I think I can afford taking another day off, honestly,"

Cordry shrugged. "That's not up to me, Jack-ster, that's up to your parents."

Jackie blew her nose. "Well, you remember the last time I tried to ask my mom if I could skip?"

Cordry rolled his eyes. "How can I forget? I was the first on the scene."

Jackie scrunched back on her bed, sitting up. "Oh that's right, you were. Hey, how many cops came by that day, anyways?"

"Well, I remember there were at least three patrol cars all directed to your house." Cordry kept his eyes towards the disheveled mess sitting up on the bed. Her usually tidy, fluffy hair looked like a frazzled-out puff with frayed ends sticking out everywhere. Further down, the bags underneath her eyes sunk deep. "I think you should take another day off."

"Hm." Jackie sunk her head into her pillow. "What changed your mind?"

"Well, for starters," Cordry said, "you look like your mom before she puts on any make-up."

Jackie chuckled under her breath. "Like make-up would actually help that lost cause." Jackie clasped her phone, using the reflection as a makeshift mirror. "Jeez, are the bags under my eyes really this bad?"

Cordry shrugged. "I'm not a good judge, when it comes to looks anyways. Also, this might sound awkward, but you're talking to the air."

"What?" Jackie blinked once. The moment she opened her eyes, Cordry was nowhere to be seen. Jackie brought her hands up to her eyes, rubbing them furiously. She looked again and saw nothing on the end of her bed. Jackie turned over to her night stand and saw the glass shard still laying on top of it.

It made a tiny sparkle, reflecting a bit of light.

Jackie opened her window and chucked the shard outside. It bounced across the street and landed down an open manhole. Jackie patted her own back, impressed with herself

A while later, the doorbell rang. Jackie trudged her way down the stairs, and opened the door.

"Heya, I know you're a busy girl, so I'll just get straight to the point." A man in a ragged, wrinkly white robe twiddled his thumbs as he mumbled out his words.

"Are you the guy that keeps trying to break into my room every night?" Jackie asked. She peered a little closer, examining him. "Oh my god, you are…" She turned to the side and yelled, "Dale!"

"Wait, wait, wait"—The man flailed his hands in front of her—"look, you might have picked up something I lost by accident, and I was wondering if you could, uh, give it back? Please? There's a lot of people that'll be really upset if I told them I lost it."

"You mean the glass shard thing?" Jackie looked behind her, towards the open window. "Oh… oh, crap, I threw it into the, uh, sewer by accident." Jackie forced a wide smile. As she held it, the sides of her cheeks began to feel pained.

"YOU DID WHAT!?" The man pressed both hands against his reddened, visibly flushed cheeks. "

Jackie slammed the door in front of his face. "Sorry about that!" The man kept banging on the door. She placed a hand over her throbbing head. "I need some chamomile."

* * *

Marco ambled down the narrow sidewalk, while Star skipped down with long, graceful strides as they passed the shops that lined the street. Star tilted her eyes upwards, paying no attention to anything in front of her. Marco pulled Star in front of him before she knocked over the pedestrian walking towards her.

Meanwhile, Marco kept a close eye out towards any of the signs posted on the shops. He gazed left and saw a sign that read 'Chinese Food' plastered over the door. Marco nudged Star on the shoulder, grabbing her attention. He pointed to the sign as Star tucked a hand underneath her chin, mumbling to herself.

"Ehhhhh, nah," Star said, "we had Chinese last week, didn't we?" From the corner of her eye, she noticed a cardboard squid tentacle on a sign. Star pointed over to a building on the other side of the street. "It's been a while since I've had seafood. What do you say, Marco?"

Marco stared at the squid sign posted outside of building. A bit of bile rose up. "Nope, I think I've had enough seafood to last at least two lifetimes." The taste of uncooked calamari and frozen salmon lingered in his mouth since the incident.

Star chuckled to herself. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that." They kept trekking down the sidewalk, walking past restaurant after restaurant. Marco and Star took turns pointing them out, only for the other to shake their head in refusal. Marco jerked his head slightly to the side as the two passed by the third seafood restaurant in a row. They arrived at a four-way intersection, stopping at the edge of the sidewalk.

Marco rolled his eyes. "Ugh, there's nothing good to eat." He peered back. "There's some leftover chicken, a block of cheddar and a bag of tortilla chips back at home. I can probably whip something good up with that. Wanna just go home?"

"Well, we're already out," Star remarked as she crossed the street. "And it's a long walk back home." Star set her sights down the street, refusing to turn back. "We're not going home empty-handed, Marco."

Marco bellowed out a massive groan as he trailed behind Star. "Okay, fine, just find something quick."

"Don't you worry there, Marco." Star peered further down the street, keeping a close eye for anything satisfactory. "Mewnians are natural-born hunters. I'll find you something." Star's eyes drifted to the left, to a cardboard image of a coffee cup with steam rising from the top, plastered on the side of a building. "Hey Marco, don't they serve actual food at coffee shops?"

"Yeah," Marco said, lingering for a moment. "But that's like going to Karate-Con to learn the ancient secrets of Tae Kwon Do." He stopped right in front of the coffee shop, taking a closer look at the logo. "Besides, I think there's a reason I never went here before."

The door swung open from the inside. A girl in a green beanie was walking out. "Don't worry about it mom, I'll actually come back in five minutes this time!" Janna hollered. As the door closed, she snickered to herself. "If I remember."

Marco hunched himself a bit forwards, squinting over to the side instead of in front of him. "Oh right, that's why…"

Star's mouth widened into a massive grin as her eyes seemed to glisten slightly. "Hey Janna!" She waved 'hello' incessantly for Janna's attention.

"Star!" Janna dashed towards Star, arms opened wide. They wrapped each other in a friendly embrace, squealing and giggling to each other.

"I didn't know you worked here," Star said.

"Yeah, my mom runs this place." Janna backed off a bit and asked, "Whatcha doin' here, girl?"

Star pulled Marco's face towards herself, to Marco's surprise. "Marco and I are eating out today, but…" Star dragged out her words to emphasize her exasperation. "We can't find anything good to eat." Star looked behind her. "Trust me, we've been looking _forever._ "

"Well, let me tell ya, there's nothing edible here." Janna eyed towards the coffee shop for a moment. "I know, cuz I'm the one in charge of making the baked goods." Janna began to make her way down the street, turning around to signal Star and Marco to follow. "Come on, I know a place."

Marco hesitated for a moment, mumbling to himself.

Star grabbed Marco by the wrist, dragging him down the street with her. "Let's go, Marco!"

While Star dragged him on the concrete, Marco pulled out his phone with his free hand, keeping his eyes and his attention glued towards it. "Okay."

Star caught up to Janna. "Where are we going?"

Janna looked at Star, making a wry smirk. "It's a place Jackie and I like to go to from time-to-time, usually on a school day or something. She'd totally be here right now if she knew where were going."

"Sounds promising," Star muttered. "Where is Jackie, by the way?"

Interested, Marco perked up. "Yeah, we haven't seen her in over three days."

"Beats me," Janna replied. "She said 'she's been sick'. Knowing her though, she never gets sick. Or if she does, it's only for a day, max." Janna tilted her eyes upwards, before she just shrugged. "She's probably at home, playing that stupid skateboard game thing." Janna pulled out her phone and fiddled around with the keyboard. "Maybe I'll buy some extra for her."

"Extra what?" Star asked.

"You'll see." Janna cocked her head towards Star and formed a wry smile. "Just be patient."

"We better be actually going somewhere to eat," Marco said.

Janna cocked her head towards Marco. "Come on, when's the last time we hung out, Marco?"

"Last time I went out with you, we ended up stuck inside a morgue for three hours…"

Janna shirked back. "Hey, the back door was open, you can't squander an opportunity like that."

"Yes you can," Marco muttered to himself. He shivered a bit, still feeling the two corpses sandwich him. "I swear if you shove me inside another storage unit again, I will—"

"Yo," Janna yelped, pointing down the street, "what's going on there?"

He looked down the street and saw a large gathering of people by one of the shops. In the centre of the crowd, a man covered in a white robe stood above the rest. The man pushed his bangs off to the side, readjusting his glasses. Finally, he tussled around inside his afro, pulling out a dusty, ancient book with a brown spine.

Marco, Star and Janna made it to the edge of the crowd.

"Looks like a rally or something," Janna said.

Star pulled out her wand, aiming the head down towards her legs. "I'm gonna need a better view for this." A purple light glowed on the head of the wand. Star's legs stretched up from the ground, looking over the crowd. Looking down, she saw the platform the robed man was standing on; a squid-shaped platform with many tentacles sprouted out along the sides. The platform rose up slightly. Two others dressed in white robes stood up, towering above everyone.

He cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "Good afternoon, my fellow humans," the man greeted. "I am Father Yanko, and I'm here on behalf of _The Denomination of Rael'Kath_ today to spread a simple message. I want everyone to know, Rael'Kath has returned!"

Everyone stared at Yanko with tilted heads and narrowed eyes.

"Who?" One of them asked.

"The GLORIOUS Rael'Kath," Yanko screamed, "the scourge of the ocean! The glorious abomination under the sea! The consumer of all life and existence! He has come back to us!"

For a moment, everyone remained silent, save for the occasional awkward cough or throat clearing. Eventually, everyone in the crowd murmured amongst themselves, all voicing their concern and confusion.

"The heck is he talking about?" Someone in the crowd yelped.

"Did we just stumble into a cult meeting?"

"Yeah, this guy has no chill." Sabrina said, before she began to squish through the crowd to leave.

A few scurried away from the strange man, walking away, probably going about the rest of their day, unperturbed. Others followed suit, making their way down the street, away from Yanko. Soon, the crowd petered out into something a lot smaller, taking up a small corner on the street.

"That's right, leave now, you naysayers," Yanko screamed out. "Run away from the glory of the great Rael'Kath! You all will make excellent prey for our master."

Marco groaned while his lips formed a deep pout. "Ugh, it's one of those crazy cult-fanatics that keeps spouting on and on about their stupid, probably made-up god." Marco tugged Star and Janna by their collars. "There's absolutely nothing of value here, let's go."

Star grabbed ahold of Marco's arm, stopping him. "Hang on, Marco. I wanna see where this goes."

"Yeah," Janna affirmed, nodding along. "I want to know what a Rael'Kath is."

"Ugh." Marco crossed his arms, pouting.

"To those of you who'd stay"—Yanko closed his eyes, leaned down and took a deep breath—"I commend thee. The Denomination of Rael'Kath and his Justicars will gladly accept all who are willing to give their lives for the god that consumes anything and everything. I am sure all of you will serve him well."

"This is so stupid," Marco remarked.

"I know," Janna replied, "but I don't know, cults can be fun."

"Yes, yes!" Yanko sputtered on stage. "Your lives all belong to Rael'Kath!"

Marco glared at Janna. "I don't think I'll ever agree on your definition of 'fun'."

Janna made a smirk, shifting her eyes towards Marco. "Fun is subjective, Marco."

"Give up your souls, lives and time to Rael'Kath! Let him feed upon your essence, nurturing him, and you will all be rewarded!" Yanko kneeled down, trying to catch his breath. He forced himself up, still huffing for air. "Rewarded with the knowledge you served your god well! Join the Denomination, TODAY!"

Yanko howled in the air with raucous laughter. High-pitched squealing filled the air. Everybody still left in the crowd squeezed their ears close. Star stared at Yanko with increasing concern, looking away from him. Even Janna started to back away from him. He shut himself up, standing still before pulling up his fist near his mouth and clearing his throat.

"Feel free to take a complimentary snack on the way out," Yanko announced.

The two robed figures on each side of Yanko pulled up a tray from the ground. They opened them up, revealing many paper holders filled to the brim with an assortment of shrimp and calamari rings.

Marco felt a bit of bile rise.

"Feel free to take as many as you want," Yanko said. "I have extra."

The two figures passed Marco, Star and Janna. Marco noticed one of the robbed figures held his tray strangely. The tray was jutted between to spheres in place for hands. Many spikes stuck out throughout the spheres.

"Ooh." Star skimmed through the tray, taking two samples for herself.

Janna hoarded the rest of the tray to herself. "What? He said we can take a much as we want."

"That is true," the figure with the spiked balls for hands said. "We'll get more."

"Glory to Rael'Kath," the other robbed figure exclaimed. They turned around, making their way back to Yanko.

Marco looked up, noticing the two deer horns jutting out the other robed figure's head.

"I swear I've seen them before…"

Janna held the seafood hors d'oeuvres underneath Marco. "You want it…" Janna prodded Marco.

Marco slowly pushed them away.

"Eh, your loss," Janna said as she shoved the mounds of calamari in her mouth.

"Let's get going, then," Marco said, "where's this restaurant you're talking about."

Janna shoved another pile of calamari into her mouth. "On second thought, I'm not hungry anymore. Sorry."

Marco hunched over forwards, pouting.

* * *

 **The Next Day**

Star and Marco were almost home. Neither of them rushed to the house, opting to take their time instead.

"Marco, sometimes you just have to accept things the way they are," Star said. "You got to stop"—Star bumped shoulder-to-shoulder against another person on the sidewalk—"Oh sorr—huh?" Star watched as a teenager, close to her age, decked in white-robes and a frilly hat with appendages hanging off the end, staggered down the street.

Marco struggled to hold the shopping bag. It pulled his entire body down. "Stop what?" Marco asked as he shifted the bag to his other hand.

"Questioning things," Star replied. "You got to stop asking questions, and just let things be, you know." Star smirked towards him. "Anything's a lot more fun if you go in, not knowing a single thing. Questioning things is just a big waste of time, Marco."

"Okay, sure, I get what you're saying." Marco motioned Star to turn around. As Star kept moving backwards, unwilling to stop moving, Marco opened up the shopping bag. He made sure Star had a clear view of the contents. "But why did you buy over a hundred bottles of bug repellent?"

"I could tell you why, but it's more fun to just not question it. You'll find out soon enough." Star hovered over Marco, beaming with glee. "Okay, Marco?"

Marco rolled his eyes. "I want to know what your definition of 'fun' is."

"It's subjective, Marco." As Star shrugged, her shoulders bumped underneath someone's chin. Star turned around and saw Ferguson staggering backwards. "Sorry Ferguson, didn't see you, uh…"

Marco and Star took a moment to examine Ferguson and his new attire. He wore the same white robes and the same white hat. Star noticed a symbol on the breast of Ferguson's robe; there was a squid-shaped head enclosed in a circle, with tentacles hanging down, over the edge of the circle.

"Woah," Marco breathed out, "where'd you get the new digs, Ferg?"

Ferguson pushed himself off the ground and continued to walk down the street, not even acknowledging neither Star nor Marco.

"Glory to Rael'Kath," Star heard Ferguson whisper under her breath.

Marco tilted his head. "Ferguson?" He kept looking down the street, watching Ferguson stagger down the sidewalk. "That's weird."

"Yeah, it was." Star remarked. "Come to think of it, there were _a lot_ of people in robes today. What's up with that?"

"I don't know," Marco mumbled.

Marco and Star looked around and found many other people walking around in robes. Each of them walked past the other without much thought. Star found two who kept crashing into each other. Star watched them knock into each other face-to-face, and then they continued to knock into each other, repeatedly.

Eventually, they made it back home. "Let's not question it… okay? We don't have much time."

"Much time to do what?" Marco asked.

Star faced Marco, lifting an eyebrow. "What did I say about questioning things?" Star pulled out the dimensional scissors, twirling them in the air before tearing open a portal. "Come on Marco," Star ordered, motioning him towards the portal, "the fun awaits!"

* * *

 **Later**

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

A portal ripped open into Star's room, right on top of Star's bed. Star flew out of the portal first, plopping on her stomach. She pushed herself off the bed as Marco jumped out the portal, landing next to her.

Star examined her arms, wiping against the scratches, bruises and bites scattered across her arms. She also noticed part of the leg of her jeans torn off. Star blamed that on the spiders and their ravenous appetites. Worried, she looked over to the side, noticing Marco's ragged condition. He wasn't wearing his usual red sweater. She chalked it up to the spiders again. He had even more scratches and bruises posted along the lengths of his arms.

Star let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close one, eh Marco?" She nudged Marco on the shoulder.

Marco chuckled, bellowing out raspy coughs in-between. "Yeah, it sure was—"

A spider head and its appendages popped out of the unclosed portal. It grasped its legs around Marco. The spider tugged Marco into the portal as Marco squirmed back

"Star!" Marco yelped. "Star, get it off me!" Something pierced through his skin. Marco's pupils dilated.

Marco's screaming caused sweat to stream down Star's forehead. Star conjured a repellent can in the air. She sprayed in Marco's general direction.

Guttural roars filled the air. The spider's legs flailed while it gripped Marco even tighter.

"The bug spray makes it stronger, Star!" Marco screamed. A spider leg wrapped around Marco's neck as he sputtered out droplets of saliva. "We already figured that out!"

"Right, right, I know… uhhh." Star scanned around the ground. She clenched her teeth as she watched Marco struggle against the voracious spider. She clutched her wand and swung it down on the spider's head.

The spider's roar and Marco's shrill scream mixed together in the air. Its head receded back through the portal as Marco was forced through. Star clasped Marco's leg. She yanked it back as the spider did the same. Marco yelped after each pull.

As the spider nearly dragged all of Marco inside the portal, another set of arms grabbed on the spider on Marco. In a single pull, the arms ripped the spider off Marco, pulling it through the portal. Screams echoed through the room as Star sealed the portal closed.

Marco and Star collapsed on their backs. Star accidentally rolled off the bed, hitting the ground with a thud.

Marco struggled for breath.

Star took a deep breath and pushed herself off the ground. "Was that the other spider we set free?"

"Yeah," Marco replied. "Yeah it was."

"Hmm." Star plopped down on the bed. "I think we learned something important just now."

"And what would that be?" Marco asked.

"Sometimes if you do something good for someone, you can be rewarded in weird unusual ways." Star grinned wide, satisfied with herself.

"Well, I learned that I need to start asking you _a lot_ more questions," Marco said. "Especially, if, you know, if you're gonna drag me through _the Kingdom of Giant Spiders!"_ Marco brushed the length of his arms, picking up a thread of spider webbing along the way. He shuddered as the silky webbing hung off his fingers.

"I've always wanted to go down to the spider kingdom with my bestie," Star said. "And besides, if you started asking questions, we wouldn't have saved the spider prince from his arranged marriage with the evil, selfish, ugly Princess Beetella. I think we did something good today, don't you agree?"

Marco stared Star straight in the face, unblinking. "I was stuck in a cocoon for almost _three,_ _hours_ —"

"Our pain and suffering is the cost for someone else's happiness, Marco."

"Ugh, I guess." Marco kept scratching more webbing off his arms. "I need to take a shower, otherwise the webs will stay stuck on my arms for good."

"Wait, I need a shower too," Star said, staring at her bruises.

Marco stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "How are we gonna settle this?"

Star raised her own eyebrow with a seductive smirk. "I got an idea."

…

The door opened on Star's command.

"—paper, scissors!" After Star and Marco both said 'scissors', Marco and Star compared the results. Marco had his hand shaped like a pair of scissors, while Star held out her hand like a piece of paper.

"Yes!"

"Seriously!" Star muffled her own scream. "Best out of three?"

"Ugh." Marco rolled his eyes. "Sure."

They held out their fists, ready to play again.

"Rock, paper, scissors—"

"Mewnian Battle Axe!" Star yelped, imitating an axe swing. "Match point, Marco."

Marco let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't agree to any extra rules."

"You should've of said something earlier." Star smirked.

"Fine"—Marco held out his fist—"match point."

Star held out her own fist. "Rock, paper, scissors—"

"Mewnian Battle Ax—"

"Nuclear-Hydrogen bomb!" Marco screeched.

"What?" Star's nostrils flared as she glared at Marco. "Come on Marco, you can't just make up things—"

"Hey kids!"

Marco and Star turned around. Star flinched back, arming her wand, aiming it in front of her. Marco gasped and held his arms out for a fight. They stood still for a moment, letting their guard down soon after.

Marco's mouth fell open, his eye twitched repeatedly. "Mom? Dad?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, what's with the new getup?" Star asked, tilting her head to the side.

Mr. Diaz adjusted the frilly hat on his head, and then he smoothed out the wrinkles on the sleeve of his white robe. He made extra sure the squid insignia plastered in the breast of the robe was clearly visible. "We have just returned from the daily scripture readings.

"All glory to Rael'Kath!" Mrs. Diaz said in a chipper, casual tone. Mrs. Diaz beamed, smiling as wide as she could.

"Hold up…" Marco instinctively raised an eyebrow. "Scripture readings?"

"Yes! The Denomination kindly asks for all his subjects to come to the daily scripture readings to commemorate the Great Consumer, Rael'Kath." Mr. Diaz drew in a deep breath, grimacing towards Marco. "Don't tell me you have been skipping out on your scriptures, Marco!"

"Dad…" Marco's eyebrows creased together. "We've been gone for…" Marco turned over to Star. "How long have we been out for?"

Star shrugged. "I lost count."

"—For a while! Since when did you guys get obsessed with this, Rael'Kath thing or whatever?"

"Rael'Kath, Rael'Kath…" Star tilted her eyes up to the ceiling, tapping her finger underneath her chin. "It's like that giant squid monster, or something, right?" She thought aloud. "Heh…" Star wondered off, making sure nobody else noticed.

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz gasped. "Marco, are you questioning the great, almighty Rael'Kath?" Mr. Diaz asked.

"Uh… yeah." Marco mumbled.

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz gasped, even louder and more obnoxiously. "How uncouth, my child. You are coming to the next scripture tomorrow. You must appease Rael'Kath for your insolence."

"But—"

"No buts, Mister." Mrs. Diaz wagged a finger in front of Marco. "Rael'Kath must be appeased."

Mr. and Mrs. Diaz turned their chins upwards, walking away from the two. "Glory to Rael'Kath," Mr. and Mrs. Diaz droned on.

"That was weird," Marco said, "right Star." He looked to the side, noticing no Star right beside him. "Star?"

"Marco!" Star yelled. "Come downstairs, right now!"

"Aight." Marco shimmied down the stairs, noticing Star standing right outside the door. "What's up, Star?"

"I have no idea." Star whispered to herself.

Marco rubbed his eyes to make sure his vision was absolutely clear. When he looked again, he found seemingly every person in the neighbourhood clothed in the same white robes his parents were wearing. They all wore the same frilly hat as well. A few bumped into each, repeatedly. Most seemed to walk by, barely acknowledging anyone else. However, the air filled with a constant chant.

 _"Glory to Rael'Kath."_

Marco kept staring outside, unblinking. He leaned to the side, disoriented. The world seemed to constantly spin around in his eyes. "Star…"

"Yeah, Marco?"

Marco took a deep, contemplative breath. "I have a lot of questions that need to be answered right now."

"Me too, Marco," Star replied. "Me too."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


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